False Rape Allegation and Regret: A Theoretical Model Based on Cognitive Dissonance.

Cognitive dissonance False rape allegations Sexual consent Sexual regret

Journal

Archives of sexual behavior
ISSN: 1573-2800
Titre abrégé: Arch Sex Behav
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 1273516

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
07 2021
Historique:
received: 11 04 2017
accepted: 22 09 2020
revised: 04 08 2020
pubmed: 6 1 2021
medline: 8 10 2021
entrez: 5 1 2021
Statut: ppublish

Résumé

The aim of this paper is to provide a model illustrating how regretful consensual intercourse may lead to false rape allegations (FRA). An intrapersonal perspective of regret based on cognitive dissonance is added to the interpersonal factors already mentioned in the literature. The intrapersonal perspective is discussed in terms of the reduction of a state of cognitive dissonance induced by the gap between social norms and the shamefully perceived behavior. First, we start with the review of the different motives that may lead to a FRA, insisting on regret caused by cognitive dissonance. We then develop the emergence of regret from a state of cognitive dissonance. Second, we describe the means used to build the model: a literature review, an extraction of the factors at play in regret-based FRA, a chronological structure of the various factors, as some are necessarily the source of others. We then build the model. Third, we illustrate how the model could encompass many possible and usual scenarios. Thirteen plausible scenarios were developed to show the relevance of the model. Finally, we comment and discuss the model for future research and prevention.

Identifiants

pubmed: 33398704
doi: 10.1007/s10508-020-01847-z
pii: 10.1007/s10508-020-01847-z
doi:

Types de publication

Journal Article

Langues

eng

Sous-ensembles de citation

IM

Pagination

2067-2083

Informations de copyright

© 2021. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.

Références

Amodio, D. M., Devine, P. G., & Harmon-Jones, E. (2007). A dynamic model of guilt: Implications for motivation and self-regulation in the context of prejudice. Psychological Science, 18, 524–530.
pubmed: 17576266 doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01933.x pmcid: 17576266
Baumeister, R. F., Stillwell, A. M., & Heatherton, T. F. (1994). Guilt: An interpersonal approach. Psychological Bulletin, 115, 243–267.
pubmed: 8165271 doi: 10.1037/0033-2909.115.2.243 pmcid: 8165271
Bay-Cheng, L. Y., & Eliseo-Arras, R. K. (2008). The making of unwanted sex: Gendered and neoliberal norms in college women’s unwanted sexual experiences. Journal of Sex Research, 45, 386–397.
pubmed: 18937130 doi: 10.1080/00224490802398381 pmcid: 18937130
Berkowitz, L. (1989). Frustration-aggression hypothesis: Examination and reformulation. Psychological Bulletin, 106, 59–73.
pubmed: 2667009 doi: 10.1037/0033-2909.106.1.59 pmcid: 2667009
Berkowitz, L., & Harmon-Jones, E. (2004). Toward an understanding of the determinants of anger. Emotion, 4, 107–130.
pubmed: 15222847 doi: 10.1037/1528-3542.4.2.107 pmcid: 15222847
Brown, P., & Levinson, S. C. (1987). Politeness: Some universals in language usage (Vol. 4). Cambridge University Press.
Burgess, A. W., & Hazelwood, R. R. (2009). False rape allegations. In R. R. Hazelwood & A. W. Burgess (Eds.), Practical aspects of rape investigation: A multidisciplinary approach (pp. 181–200). Boca Raton, FL: Taylor & Francis Group.
Burnes, B., & James, H. (1995). Culture, cognitive dissonance and the management of change. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 15, 14–33.
doi: 10.1108/01443579510094062
Cooper, J. (2019). Cognitive dissonance: Where we’ve been and where we’re going. International Review of Social Psychology, 32(1), 7. https://doi.org/10.5334/irsp.277 .
doi: 10.5334/irsp.277
Cooper, J., & Fazio, R. H. (1984). A new look at dissonance. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 17, 229–268.
doi: 10.1016/S0065-2601(08)60121-5
Coricelli, G., & Rustichini, A. (2010). Counterfactual thinking and emotions: Regret and envy learning. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences, 365, 241–247.
pubmed: 20026462 pmcid: 2827450 doi: 10.1098/rstb.2009.0159
De Zutter, A. W., Horselenberg, R., & van Koppen, P. J. (2017a). Filing false vice reports: Distinguishing true from false allegations of rape. European Journal of Psychology Applied to Legal Context, 9, 1–14.
doi: 10.1016/j.ejpal.2016.02.002
De Zutter, A., Horselenberg, R., & van Koppen, P. J. (2017b). Detecting the true nature of allegations of rape. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, 32, 114–127.
doi: 10.1007/s11896-016-9203-z
De Zutter, A. W., Horselenberg, R., & van Koppen, P. J. (2018). Motives for filing a false allegation of rape. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 46, 457–464.
doi: 10.1007/s10508-017-0951-3
Demarchi, S., Tomas, F., Franchi, A., & Fanton, L. (2020). Cognitive dissonance and false rape allegations: A case study. La Revue de Médecine Légale. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medleg.2020.04.004 .
doi: 10.1016/j.medleg.2020.04.004
Dollard, J., Doob, L. W., Miller, N. E., Mowrer, O. H., & Sears, R. R. (1939). Frustration and aggression. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
doi: 10.1037/10022-000
Erickson, P. I., & Rapkin, A. J. (1991). Unwanted sexual experiences among middle and high school youth. Journal of Adolescent Health, 12, 319–325.
doi: 10.1016/0197-0070(91)90007-9
Eshbaugh, E. M., & Gute, G. (2008). Hookups and sexual regret among college women. Journal of Social Psychology, 148, 77–90.
doi: 10.3200/SOCP.148.1.77-90
Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2004). Uniform crime reporting handbook. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice. Retrieved October 2, 2020 from, https://ucr.fbi.gov/additional-ucr-publications/ucr_handbook.pdf .
Ferguson, C. E., & Malouff, J. M. (2016). Assessing police classifications of sexual assault reports: A meta-analysis of false reporting rates. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 45, 1185–1193.
pubmed: 26679304 doi: 10.1007/s10508-015-0666-2 pmcid: 26679304
Festinger, L. (1957). A theory of cognitive dissonance. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
Festinger, L., & Carlsmith, J. M. (1959). Cognitive consequences of forced compliance. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 58, 203–210.
doi: 10.1037/h0041593
Fontaine, J. R., Luyten, P., De Boeck, P., Corveleyn, J., Fernandez, M., Herrera, D., et al. (2006). Untying the Gordian knot of guilt and shame: The structure of guilt and shame reactions based on situation and person variation in Belgium, Hungary, and Peru. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 37, 273–292.
doi: 10.1177/0022022105284493
Gilovich, T., & Medvec, V. H. (1995). The experience of regret: What, when, and why. Psychological Review, 102, 379–395.
pubmed: 7740094 doi: 10.1037/0033-295X.102.2.379
Gilovich, T., Medvec, V. H., & Chen, S. (1995). Commission, omission, and dissonance reduction: Coping with regret in the “Monty Hall” problem. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 21, 182–190.
doi: 10.1177/0146167295212008
Goffman, E. (1967). Interaction Ritual. Essays on Face-to-Face Behavior. New York: Pantheon Books.
Glasford, D. E., Dovidio, J. F., & Pratto, F. (2009). I continue to feel so good about us: In-group identification and the use of social identity—Enhancing strategies to reduce intragroup dissonance. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 35, 415–427.
pubmed: 19141621 doi: 10.1177/0146167208329216
Glasford, D. E., Pratto, F., & Dovidio, J. F. (2008). Intragroup dissonance: Responses to in-group violation of personal values. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 44, 1057–1064.
doi: 10.1016/j.jesp.2007.10.004
Gombos, V. A. (2006). The cognition of deception: The role of executive processes in producing lies. Genetic, Social, and General Psychology Monographs, 132, 197–214.
pubmed: 17969998 doi: 10.3200/MONO.132.3.197-214
Hail-Jares, K., Lowrey-Kinberg, B., Dunn, K., & Gould, J. B. (2020). False rape allegations: Do they lead to a wrongful conviction following the indictment of an innocent defendant? Justice Quarterly, 37, 281–303.
doi: 10.1080/07418825.2018.1486449
Hunt, L., & Bull, R. (2012). Differentiating genuine and false rape allegations: A model to aid rape investigations. Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 19, 682–691.
doi: 10.1080/13218719.2011.615815
International Association of Chiefs of Police. (2017a). Investigating sexual assaults: Model policy. Alexandria, VA: Author. Retrieved October 2, 2020 from, https://www.evawintl.org/Library/DocumentLibraryHandler.ashx?id=93 .
International Association of Chiefs of Police. (2017b). Investigating sexual assaults concepts and issues paper. Alexandria, VA: Author. Retrieved October 2, 2020 from, https://www.evawintl.org/Library/DocumentLibraryHandler.ashx?id=328 .
Kahneman, D., & Miller, D. T. (1986). Norm theory: Comparing reality to its alternatives. Psychological Review, 93, 136–153.
doi: 10.1037/0033-295X.93.2.136
Kahneman, D., & Tversky, A. (1981). The simulation heuristic. In D. Kahneman, P. Slovic, & A. Tversky (Eds.), Judgment under uncertainty: Heuristics and biases (pp. 201–208). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Kanin, E. J. (1994). False rape allegations. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 23, 81–92.
pubmed: 8135653 doi: 10.1007/BF01541619 pmcid: 8135653
Kanin, E. J. (2001). False rape allegations. Polygraph, 30, 163–171.
Kelly, L., Lovett, J., & Regan, L. (2005). A gap or a chasm? Attrition in reported rape cases (Home Office Research Study 293). London: HMSO.
Kennair, L. E. O., Bendixen, M., & Buss, D. M. (2016). Sexual regret: Tests of competing explanations of sex differences. Evolutionary Psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.1177/1474704916682903 .
Kennair, L. E. O., Wyckoff, J. P., Asao, K., Buss, D. M., & Bendixen, M. (2018). Why do women regret casual sex more than men do? Personality and Individual Differences, 127, 61–67.
doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2018.01.044
Lisak, D., Gardinier, L., Nicksa, S. C., & Cote, A. M. (2010). False allegations of sexual assault: An analysis of ten years of reported cases. Violence Against Women, 16, 1318–1334.
pubmed: 21164210 doi: 10.1177/1077801210387747 pmcid: 21164210
Matz, D. C., & Wood, W. (2005). Cognitive dissonance in groups: The consequences of disagreement. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 88, 22–37.
pubmed: 15631572 doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.88.1.22 pmcid: 15631572
McKimmie, B. M., Terry, D. J., Hogg, M. A., Manstead, A. S., Spears, R., & Doosje, B. (2003). I’m a hypocrite, but so is everyone else: Group support and the reduction of cognitive dissonance. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 7, 214–224.
doi: 10.1037/1089-2699.7.3.214
McNamara, J. J., McDonald, S., & Lawrence, J. M. (2012). Characteristics of false allegation adult crimes. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 57, 643–646.
pubmed: 22236499 doi: 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2011.02019.x pmcid: 22236499
Moorer, K. D., Madson, M. B., Mohn, R. S., & Nicholson, B. C. (2013). Alcohol consumption and negative sex-related consequences among college women: The moderating role of alcohol protective behavioral strategies. Journal of Drug Education, 43, 365–383.
pubmed: 25445810 doi: 10.2190/DE.43.4.e pmcid: 25445810
National Sexual Violence Resource Center. (2012). False reporting: Overview. Harrisburg, PA: Author. Retrieved October 2, 2020 from, https://www.nsvrc.org/sites/default/files/2012-03/Publications_NSVRC_Overview_False-Reporting.pdf .
Norton, R., & Grant, T. (2008). Rape myth in true and false rape allegations. Psychology, Crime & Law, 14, 275–285.
doi: 10.1080/10683160701770286
O’Neal, E. N., Spohn, C., Tellis, K., & White, C. (2014). The truth behind the lies: The complex motivations for false allegations of sexual assault. Women & Criminal Justice, 24, 324–340.
doi: 10.1080/08974454.2014.890161
O’Sullivan, L. F., & Allgeier, E. R. (1998). Feigning sexual desire: Consenting to unwanted sexual activity in heterosexual dating relationships. Journal of Sex Research, 35, 234–243.
doi: 10.1080/00224499809551938
Oswalt, S. B., Cameron, K. A., & Koob, J. J. (2005). Sexual regret in college students. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 34, 663–669.
pubmed: 16362250 doi: 10.1007/s10508-005-7920-y pmcid: 16362250
Peterson, R. S., Dvorak, R. D., Stevenson, B. L., Kramer, M. P., Pinto, D. A., Mora, E. T., & Leary, A. V. (2019). Protective behavioral strategies and alcohol-related regretted sex among college students. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 28, 6–12.
doi: 10.1037/pha0000291
Peterson, Z. D., & Muehlenhard, C. L. (2004). Was it rape? The function of women’s rape myth acceptance and definitions of sex in labeling their own experiences. Sex Roles, 51, 129–144.
doi: 10.1023/B:SERS.0000037758.95376.00
Rumney, P. N. (2006). False allegations of rape. Cambridge Law Journal, 65, 128–158.
doi: 10.1017/S0008197306007069
Sapa, D. P. A. (2013, September 13). Five years jail for German woman on fake rape allegations. The New Age, 1.
Sporer, S. L. (2016). Deception and cognitive load: Expanding our horizon with a working memory model. Frontiers in Psychology, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00420 .
Stroebe, W., & Diehl, M. (1981). Conformity and counterattitudinal behavior: The effect of social support on attitude change. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 41, 876–889.
doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.41.5.876
Stroebe, W., & Diehl, M. (1988). When social support fails: Supporter characteristics in compliance-induced attitude change. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 14, 136–144.
pubmed: 30045450 doi: 10.1177/0146167288141014
Tangney, J. P., Miller, R. S., Flicker, L., & Barlow, D. H. (1996). Are shame, guilt, and embarrassment distinct emotions? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70, 1256–1269.
pubmed: 8667166 doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.70.6.1256
Tangney, J. P., Stuewig, J., & Hafez, L. (2011). Shame, guilt, and remorse: Implications for offender populations. Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology, 22, 706–723.
doi: 10.1080/14789949.2011.617541
Veraart, C. (1997). Valse zeden: Valse aangiften van zedenzaken [False morals: False allegations of sexual offences]. Amsterdam: Balans.
Veraart, C. (2006). Valse zeden: Onterechte aangiften in zedenzaken [False morals: Undeserved allegations of sexual offences]. Den Haag: BZZTôH.
Walczyk, J. J., Harris, L. L., Duck, T. K., & Mulay, D. (2014). A social-cognitive framework for understanding serious lies: Activation-decision-construction-action theory. New Ideas in Psychology, 34, 22–36.
doi: 10.1016/j.newideapsych.2014.03.001
Walczyk, J. J., Mahoney, K. T., Doverspike, D., & Griffith-Ross, D. A. (2009). Cognitive lie detection: Response time and consistency of answers as cues to deception. Journal of Business and Psychology, 24, 33–49.
doi: 10.1007/s10869-009-9090-8
Walczyk, J. J., Roper, K. S., Seemann, E., & Humphrey, A. M. (2003). Cognitive mechanisms underlying lying to questions: Response time as a cue to deception. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 17, 755–774.
doi: 10.1002/acp.914
Wall, L., & Tarczon, C. (2013). True or false? The contested terrain of false allegations. Melbourne: Australian Centre for the Study of Sexual Assault, Australian Institute of Family Studies.
Zeelenberg, M., & Breugelmans, S. M. (2008). The role of interpersonal harm in distinguishing regret from guilt. Emotion, 8, 589–596.
pubmed: 18837609 doi: 10.1037/a0012894

Auteurs

Samuel Demarchi (S)

Human and Artificial Cognition Research Center (CHArt, EA4004), Psychology Department, Paris 8 University, Saint-Denis, France. samuel.demarchi@univ-paris8.fr.

Frédéric Tomas (F)

Human and Artificial Cognition Research Center (CHArt, EA4004), Psychology Department, Paris 8 University, Saint-Denis, France.

Laurent Fanton (L)

Faculty of Medicine Lyon-Est, University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, University of Lyon, Lyon, France.
Forensic Medicine Service, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France.

Articles similaires

[Redispensing of expensive oral anticancer medicines: a practical application].

Lisanne N van Merendonk, Kübra Akgöl, Bastiaan Nuijen
1.00
Humans Antineoplastic Agents Administration, Oral Drug Costs Counterfeit Drugs

Smoking Cessation and Incident Cardiovascular Disease.

Jun Hwan Cho, Seung Yong Shin, Hoseob Kim et al.
1.00
Humans Male Smoking Cessation Cardiovascular Diseases Female
Humans United States Aged Cross-Sectional Studies Medicare Part C
1.00
Humans Yoga Low Back Pain Female Male

Classifications MeSH