Home > Research > Publications & Outputs > Consenting to counter-normative sexual acts

Associated organisational unit

View graph of relations

Consenting to counter-normative sexual acts: differential effects of consent on anger and disgust as a function of transgressor or consenter

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Published

Standard

Consenting to counter-normative sexual acts: differential effects of consent on anger and disgust as a function of transgressor or consenter. / Russell, Pascale Sophieke; Piazza, Jared.
In: Cognition and Emotion, Vol. 29, No. 4, 2015, p. 634-653.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Harvard

APA

Vancouver

Russell PS, Piazza J. Consenting to counter-normative sexual acts: differential effects of consent on anger and disgust as a function of transgressor or consenter. Cognition and Emotion. 2015;29(4):634-653. Epub 2014 Jul 10. doi: 10.1080/02699931.2014.930420

Author

Bibtex

@article{9007b31add6f470a8c10f5e1c882eebf,
title = "Consenting to counter-normative sexual acts: differential effects of consent on anger and disgust as a function of transgressor or consenter",
abstract = "Anger and disgust may have distinct roles in sexual morality; here, we tested hypotheses regarding the distinct foci, appraisals, and motivations of anger and disgust within the context of sexual offenses. We conducted four experiments in which we manipulated whether mutual consent (Studies 1-3) or desire (Study 4) was present or absent within a counter-normative sexual act. We found that anger is focused on the injustice of non-consensual sexual acts, and the transgressor of the injustice (Studies 1 and 3). Furthermore, the sexual nature of the act was not critical for the elicitation of anger-as anger also responded to unjust acts of violence (Study 3). By contrast, we hypothesised and found that disgust is focused on whether or not a person voluntarily engaged in, desired or consented to a counter-normative sexual act (Studies 2-4). Appraisals of abnormality and degradation were the primary appraisals of disgust, and the sexual nature of the act was a critical elicitor of disgust (Study 3). A final study ruled out victimisation as the mechanism of the effect of consent on disgust and indicated that the consenter's sexual desire was the mechanism (Study 4). Our results reveal that anger and disgust have differential roles in consent-related sexual offenses due to the distinct appraisals and foci of these emotions.",
keywords = "Disgust, anger, consent, condemnation, morality, sexuality, bodily-norm, violation, injustice",
author = "Russell, {Pascale Sophieke} and Jared Piazza",
year = "2015",
doi = "10.1080/02699931.2014.930420",
language = "English",
volume = "29",
pages = "634--653",
journal = "Cognition and Emotion",
issn = "0269-9931",
publisher = "Psychology Press Ltd",
number = "4",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Consenting to counter-normative sexual acts

T2 - differential effects of consent on anger and disgust as a function of transgressor or consenter

AU - Russell, Pascale Sophieke

AU - Piazza, Jared

PY - 2015

Y1 - 2015

N2 - Anger and disgust may have distinct roles in sexual morality; here, we tested hypotheses regarding the distinct foci, appraisals, and motivations of anger and disgust within the context of sexual offenses. We conducted four experiments in which we manipulated whether mutual consent (Studies 1-3) or desire (Study 4) was present or absent within a counter-normative sexual act. We found that anger is focused on the injustice of non-consensual sexual acts, and the transgressor of the injustice (Studies 1 and 3). Furthermore, the sexual nature of the act was not critical for the elicitation of anger-as anger also responded to unjust acts of violence (Study 3). By contrast, we hypothesised and found that disgust is focused on whether or not a person voluntarily engaged in, desired or consented to a counter-normative sexual act (Studies 2-4). Appraisals of abnormality and degradation were the primary appraisals of disgust, and the sexual nature of the act was a critical elicitor of disgust (Study 3). A final study ruled out victimisation as the mechanism of the effect of consent on disgust and indicated that the consenter's sexual desire was the mechanism (Study 4). Our results reveal that anger and disgust have differential roles in consent-related sexual offenses due to the distinct appraisals and foci of these emotions.

AB - Anger and disgust may have distinct roles in sexual morality; here, we tested hypotheses regarding the distinct foci, appraisals, and motivations of anger and disgust within the context of sexual offenses. We conducted four experiments in which we manipulated whether mutual consent (Studies 1-3) or desire (Study 4) was present or absent within a counter-normative sexual act. We found that anger is focused on the injustice of non-consensual sexual acts, and the transgressor of the injustice (Studies 1 and 3). Furthermore, the sexual nature of the act was not critical for the elicitation of anger-as anger also responded to unjust acts of violence (Study 3). By contrast, we hypothesised and found that disgust is focused on whether or not a person voluntarily engaged in, desired or consented to a counter-normative sexual act (Studies 2-4). Appraisals of abnormality and degradation were the primary appraisals of disgust, and the sexual nature of the act was a critical elicitor of disgust (Study 3). A final study ruled out victimisation as the mechanism of the effect of consent on disgust and indicated that the consenter's sexual desire was the mechanism (Study 4). Our results reveal that anger and disgust have differential roles in consent-related sexual offenses due to the distinct appraisals and foci of these emotions.

KW - Disgust

KW - anger

KW - consent

KW - condemnation

KW - morality

KW - sexuality

KW - bodily-norm

KW - violation

KW - injustice

U2 - 10.1080/02699931.2014.930420

DO - 10.1080/02699931.2014.930420

M3 - Journal article

VL - 29

SP - 634

EP - 653

JO - Cognition and Emotion

JF - Cognition and Emotion

SN - 0269-9931

IS - 4

ER -