| Abstract: | This study dealt with the problem of sexual miscommunication which can possibly lead to date rape. Muehlenhard and Felts (1985) found that many men believe in the traditional sexual script which says that women never admit that they want sex, even when they do. Muehlenhard and Felts (1985) also found that the more that men believed that women often say no when they mean yes, the more justified the men thought it was for a man to have sex with a woman even after she says no, and the more likely the men said they would be to behave this way themselves. The present study examined what a woman can do in a dating situation to convince her date that she does not want sexual activity. In a pilot study, an anonymous, open-ended questionnaire was administered to 60 male and 60 female introductory psychology students in order to generate possible ways a woman could refuse sex. Based on the results of the pilot study, we developed an objective questionnaire to test (a) the effectiveness of the different responses in convincing men to stop their sexual advances, and (b) the effect the responses could have on the couple's relationship. This questionnaire was then administered to 89 male introductory psychology students. It will be possible to use the results from this study both in sexual assertiveness training programs and in rape prevention programs. Thus, the present study may help women reduce miscommunication about sex, and--to the extent that miscommunication is a factor in date rape--perhaps might help women reduce the risk of date rape. |
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