A Meta-analysis of Media Consumption and Rape Myth Acceptance

Abstract

The prevalence of rape myths, or false beliefs about rape that blame victims of sexual violence and excuse perpetrators of sexual violence, has been documented throughout a wide range of media content. However, previous meta-analyses of media consumption and rape myth acceptance (RMA) have focused on pornography, and these studies are over ten years old. This research addresses this gap with a meta-analysis studying the relationship between the consumption of all types of media and RMA. Thirty-two studies (N = 12,016) met inclusion criteria. The overall weighted mean effect size was r = 0.09 (p < .001), indicating a small but statistically significant relationship, where media consumption is correlated with greater RMA. Sub-analyses indicated that a few media types, especially violent pornography and general pornography, drove this relationship. Results are discussed in terms of cultivation theory, social cognitive theory, and sexual scripting theory. The results highlight needs for: research exploring the relationship between diverse types of media consumption and RMA, pornography research distinguishing between violent and nonviolent pornographic content, and rape myth-focused media literacy interventions that target adolescents and young adults.

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank Dr. Seth Noar for providing guidance and feedback throughout the development of this meta-analysis, Dr. Nicole Else-Quest for her helpful revisions on this paper, and Alex Kresovich for his assistance with article coding and additional helpful comments on this paper. The author would also like to thank Dr. Jenna McNallie and Dr. Jiayu Li for providing additional data for this meta-analysis.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

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Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.