¿Es lo bello siempre tan bueno? Influencia del atractivo físico en la percepción social del acoso sexual

  1. Antonio Herrera
  2. M. Carmen Herrera
  3. Francisca Expósito
Journal:
International Journal of Social Psychology, Revista de Psicología Social

ISSN: 0213-4748 1579-3680

Year of publication: 2016

Volume: 31

Issue: 2

Pages: 238-253

Type: Article

DOI: 10.1080/02134748.2016.1143179 DIALNET GOOGLE SCHOLAR

More publications in: International Journal of Social Psychology, Revista de Psicología Social

Sustainable development goals

Abstract

Research has shown that the perception of sexual harassment depends on factors such as gender, the situational context, the type of harassment, the ideology of the perceiver, the physical attractiveness of the harasser and victim and the relationship between them. This study focuses on examining the influence of physical attractiveness in the perception of a situation like sexual harassment. Through a questionnaire, 205 participants read a scenario in which a male worker (attractive vs. unattractive) engaged in gender harassment against a female colleague (attractive vs. unattractive). The participants then answered the measurements on the perception of harassment, responsibility, motivation and ideology. The main results were that the situation was more often perceived as sexual harassment when the victim of the harassment was physically attractive than when she was unattractive. Furthermore, the higher the participants’ acceptance of harassment myths the more they tended to blame the victim. We can conclude from this study the importance of the influence of certain myths or preconceived ideas about sexual harassment, which are found in both men and women, on how these situations are perceived

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