Men and women\u27s perceptions of verbal and nonverbal consent for sexual intercourse

This study examined the perception of giving consent and nonconsent for intercourse among heterosexual college men and women. Participants read vignettes describing a heterosexual couple who are on a date and are engaged in intimate sexual behavior. The male makes it clear to the female that he wants to have sexual intercourse. The female either consents or does not consent to have intercourse. Participants were then asked to rate the likelihood of the female giving each of six verbal and six nonverbal behaviors to clearly communicate her intention. Participants reported higher ratings for verbal behavior to communicate nonconsent than to communicate consent. Participants also reported higher ratings for nonverbal behavior to communicate consent than to communicate nonconsent. In addition, gender differences were found for communicating both consent and nonconsent. Men reported higher ratings for verbal behavior to communicate consent. Women reported higher ratings for nonverbal behavior to communicate both consent and nonconsent