Examination of covariates of previous self-reported sexual assault

This study investigated the relationships of female college students’ (N = 228) hypothesized high-risk personality and behavioral traits with self-reports of previous sexual aggression. Participants completed five scales: Women’s Sexual Experiences Survey, (Noel & Ogle, unpublished 2006); Sexual Experiences Survey, (Koss & Oros, 1982); Marlow-Crowne Social Desirability Scale, (Crowne & Marlow, 1960); The Quantity-Frequency Index (QFI), adapted from Cahalan, Cisin and Crossley (1969); The Hyperfemininity Scale (HFS), (Murnen & Byrne, 1991); The Modified Auburn Differential Masculinity Index: adapted from the ADMI-60, (Burk, Burkhart, & Sikorski, 2004) and the NEO-FFI Personality Inventory (NEO FFI; Costa & McCrae, 1989). Their scores were examined using a series of regressions tested three hypotheses. H1: Each of the individual variables (alcohol consumption, hyperfemininity and attraction to hypermasculinity) would separately predict self-reports of sexual assault. H2: When viewed collectively the experimental variables would explain more of the variance of sexual assault than they would independently. H3: the Modified Auburn Differential Masculinity index and the Hyperfemininity Scale would be positively correlated. Only one of the variables from Woman’s Sexual Experience Survey, which measured previous experiences of ambivalent sexual interactions, was able to be predicted. Individually, high scores on the Hyperfemininity Scale, the amount and the frequency of alcohol use predicted previous sexual aggression. Attraction to hypermasculine traits did not significantly predict previous sexual aggression. H2 was not supported; the predictor variables were not better at predicting previous aggression when investigated collectively. H3 was supported with a significant positive correlation between the scores on the Hyperfemininity Scale and the Modified version of the Auburn Differential Masculinity scale (r (201) =.435, p=.001)