THE IMPACT OF MALE SEXUAL REQUEST STYLE ON PERCEPTIONS OF SEXUAL INTERACTIONS - THE MEDIATIONAL ROLE OF BELIEFS ABOUT FEMALE SEXUAL DESIRE

The sexual interactions of young adults are characterized by a surpris ing amount of coercion and aggression. Assumptions about the causal an tecedents of sexual desire may contribute to sexual miscommunication a nd the failed negotiations that result in sexual harassment and date r ape. I examined the impact of one presumed cause of female desire (i.e ., romantic love or romantic events) on perceptions of a heterosexual, sexual interaction. Results indicated that the perceived level of sex ual desire felt by a female target acid the extent to which she is bel ieved to want sex mediated the relation between a male target's sexual request style (romantic vs. sexual) and the extent to which their sex ual interaction was viewed as consensual. Neither gender nor previous experience with harassment or assault moderated this result; however, main effects for gender were found such that men attributed greater se xual desire to the female target than did women, and women perceived t he female target as less responsible for the occurrence of intercourse than did men.