The Influence of Positive and Negative Victim Credibility on the Assessment of Rape Victims; An Experimental Study of Expectancy—Confirmation Bias

Abstract

The influence of prior credibility information about a rape victim on the subsequent questioning and assessment of the victim by the police was studied in two related experiments. It was hypothesized that the number and type of questions asked would be influenced by the type of prior information the subjects had received. Furthermore, evaluation of the victims’ report was expected to be biased toward the manipulated level of victim credibility. In Experiment 1 law students were either given negative, positive or no victim credibility information before participating in a simulated victim interview. Analysis of the number and type of questions asked during the interview, and the attributed victim or assailant responsibility measured after the interview confirmed the hypothesis for the number and type of questions. The expected bias with regard to the final evaluation of the victim and the assailant was only partially confirmed. Irrespective of the prior information on victim credibility, attributions of responsibility were related to stereotypical beliefs about rape and estimated percentage of false crime reports. In Experiment 2 these results were partially replicated using a sample of vice squad detectives. These police officers appeared to be more sympathetic towards rape victims than were the law students. The discussion focused on the complexity of expectancy confirmation research and the rather positive results found in this study.

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