Women’s hostility toward women in rape trials: Testing the intra-female gender hostility thesis

Abstract

This study examined the intra-female gender hostility hypothesis in rape trials. The relationship between the dependent variable, verdict, and a number of juror characteristics was examined among volunteer mock jurors. Each mock jury deliberated to verdict after reading one of three versions of a scripted consent-defense rape case. The study also examined the extent that gender predicts a guilty verdict among jurors in rape cases using logistic regression analysis. The results showed that gender had a statistically significant effect on juror verdicts and significantly contributed to the ability to predict a juror's decision. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2005 APA, all rights reserved) (journal abstract).