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Completed

NCT Number: NCT03956238

Alcohol Myopia, Objectification, and Sexual Assault

The present project integrates previous research on factors associated with alcohol-involved sexual assault, with research on how intoxication alters attention and social perceptions in ways that increase the risk of sexual aggression and victimization. Specifically, this project examines whether alcohol intoxication on the part of a male perpetrator impairs attentional capacity and leads to a narrowing of the perceptual field causing a dehumanizing perspective of women as sexual objects for men's pleasure rather than individuals with thoughts and feelings, thereby increasing the propensity for sexual aggression. The present research also examines whether women's responses to this sexual objectification from men interfere with risk perception in sexual situations, particularly when women are drinking, increasing the likelihood of sexual victimization.

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Key information

Conditions

Alcoholic Intoxication Aberrant Motor Behavior in Dementia Aggression Alcohol Drinking Alcohol-Related Disorders Behavior Behavioral Symptoms Chemically-Induced Disorders Drinking Behavior Mental Disorders Social Behavior Substance-Related Disorders

Age range

21 year–30 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Lincoln, Nebraska, 68588, United States

About this study

These studies will provide a comprehensive test of our proposed model of alcohol-involved sexual assault that includes situation-specific mechanisms and key moderators of sexual violence. Specifically, hypotheses will be tested in the context of two carefully controlled laboratory studies. In Study 1, laboratory alcohol administration procedures will be used to manipulate intoxication (vs. placebo control) in men. Impaired attention and objectification will then be measured multi-modally including behavioral, self-report, and implicit measures. Finally, sexual aggression will be measured with a laboratory-based analogue of sexual assault. Study 2 will include women and follow the same alcohol administration procedures as Study 1. Additionally, mirroring men's objectification, objectifying gazes (vs. eye gazes) will also be manipulated. Impaired attention, self-objectification, and decreased sexual risk perceptions will then be assessed. Prior the laboratory visit, all participants will complete a battery of questionnaires to assess key moderators including a history of sexual assault perpetration and victimization, prior sexual objectification and self-objectification, as well as alcohol-related sex expectances and rape myth acceptance. The overall model will be analyzed within a conditional process model framework.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • 21-30 years of age
  • at least social drinkers
  • single
  • men attracted to women, women attracted to men

Exclusion criteria

  • current/past alcohol dependence (as assessed by a score of 8 or higher on the Alcohol Dependence Scale), alcohol-related treatment, or hospitalization due to alcohol use
  • any past serious head injuries (as indicated by HELPS Brain Injury Screening Tool)
  • serious psychological symptoms (defined as past psychotic, paranoid, or bipolar disorders, or current major depression)
  • abstinence from alcohol use
  • a condition or medication use in which alcohol consumption is medically contraindicated
  • any legal restriction against drinking (e.g., as condition of probation or parole)
  • presence of a positive breath alcohol concentration (BAC) upon arrival to the laboratory
  • if the participant is less than six feet tall and weighs over 250 pounds or is over six feet tall and weighs over 300 pounds
  • if a female participant is pregnant

Treatment and study plan

Alcohol intoxication

Behavioral

Men and women assigned to moderate alcohol dose condition (target BAC .08%) or placebo control condition with NIAAA approved alcohol administration procedures

Objectification

Behavioral

Women assigned to objectifying gazes condition or eye contact control condition

Primary outcomes

  1. Laboratory analogue of sexual aggression

    Time frame: 20 minutes post alcohol or placebo dosing

    After learning that a woman does not like sexual media, male participants choose to show her a sexually explicit video or control video (selection of the sexually explicit video indicates more sexual aggression)

  2. Sexual assault vignette measure of risk perception

    Time frame: 20 minutes post alcohol or placebo dosing

    Female participants read 18 vignettes describing a sexual interaction between a man and a woman that gets progressively riskier for sexual assault and indicate when they would leave the interaction (scores range from 1-18 and higher scores indicate worse risk perception)

Secondary outcomes

  1. Eye-tracking measure of sexual objectification

    Time frame: 2 minutes post alcohol or placebo dosing

    Male participants wear a portable eye tracker and discuss media preferences with a female confederate while dwell time on the female confederate's face and body is monitored (longer dwell times on the woman's body and shorter dwell times on the woman's face indicate more sexual objectification)

  2. Eye-tracking measure of self-objectification

    Time frame: 2 minutes post alcohol or placebo dosing

    Female participants wear a portable eye tracker and interact with a male confederate in front of a mirror while dwell time on the participant's body is monitored (longer dwell times on the participant's body indicates more self-objectification)

  3. Object brief-implicit association task

    Time frame: 25 minutes post alcohol or placebo dosing

    On a computer, male participants sort stimuli words representing the categories object (e.g., tool), human (e.g., person), women (e.g., female), and men (male). Participants must respond as quickly and accurately as possible to categorize the words on a computer screen to object, human, women, and men categories via a computer key press. Responding faster to object and woman words and slower to woman and human words indicates implicit objectification of women

  4. Self-object brief-implicit association task

    Time frame: 25 minutes post alcohol or placebo dosing

    On a computer, female participants sort stimuli words representing the categories object (e.g., tool), human (e.g., person), me (e.g., self), and others (them). Participants must respond as quickly and accurately as possible to categorize the words on a computer screen to object, human, me, and others categories via a computer key press. Responding faster to object and me words and slower to human and me words indicates implicit self-objectification.

  5. Self-report state mindful attention awareness scale

    Time frame: 30 minutes post alcohol or placebo dosing

    Male and female participants self-report how attentive they feel on a 0 to 6 point scale (averaged lower scores indicate more mindful attention awareness)

  6. Self-report other-objectification questionnaire

    Time frame: 35 minutes post alcohol or placebo dosing

    Male participants self-report how frequently they objectified the female confederate on a 1 to 6 point scale (averaged higher scores indicate more other-objectification)

  7. Self-report self-objectification questionnaire

    Time frame: 35 minutes post alcohol or placebo dosing

    Female participants self-report how important appearance related attributes (e.g., sex appeal) are important to their self-concept relative to non-appearance attributes (e.g., hobbies) on a 0 to 9 point scale. Appearance attributes and non-appearance attributes are separately summed and non-appearance attribute scores are subtracted from appearance attribute scores (higher scores indicate more self-objectification)

  8. Saliva collection

    Time frame: 5 minutes pre alcohol or placebo dosing, 5 minutes post alcohol dosing, and 20 minutes post alcohol or placebo dosing

    Female participants provide saliva samples to assess cortisol associated with stress responses

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Nebraska Lincoln

Other

Collaborators

  • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Registry information

Official study title

Integrating Alcohol Myopia and Objectification to Understand Sexual Assault

Important dates

Study start
2019
Primary completion
2022
Study completion
2022
First posted
May 20, 2019
Registry last updated
Jul 10, 2023

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

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This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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