A Comprehensive Assessment of Rape Myths, Hookup Culture, and Social Structure among Heterosexual Individuals

This dissertation study is an examination of the relationship among rape culture, hookup culture, and social structure (i.e. regular and patterned forms of interaction over time which crystalize ideological constructs and channel behavior in specific ways). Since few efforts have examined female-on-female rape myth acceptance, I first explore collegiate perceptions of female-on-female rape to denote the influence of heteronormative discourse in guiding myths regarding survivor culpability, offender culpability, and situational contexts. Second, I develop, pilot, and validate a psychometric instrument to exclusively assess female-on-female rape myth acceptance. Finally, I comparatively assess the mediating influence of heteronormativity on the association between hookup culture endorsement and various forms of rape myth acceptance. This project contributes to the broader knowledge regarding rape culture by examining a historically neglected form of sexual violence, expanding validated psychometric instruments, and providing a comprehensive assessment of the interrelationships among rape culture, hookup culture, and social structures of heteronormativity