Does entitlement mediate the link between masculinity and rape-related variables?

Previous research has found masculine gender roles to predict rape-related behaviors and attitudes, but there is some ambiguity in the literature rega rding the mechanisms of these associations. Further, theoretical literature has suggested repeatedly that men's sense of entitlement to women is cruci al in understanding rape-related behaviors and attitudes. On the basis of t hese 2 bodies of literature, we speculated that men's sense of entitlement may be an important 3rd variable partially driving the relations between ma sculine gender roles and rape-related variables. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to examine the relations among entitlement, rape-related be haviors and attitudes, and masculine gender roles. More specifically, the a uthors used path analyses to test a conceptual model whereby entitlement me diated the links between masculine gender roles and 4 rape-related variable s. Results revealed that men's sense of general and sexual entitlement comp letely mediated the relations between masculinity and rape-related attitude s and behaviors in 3 of the 4 models and partially in the 4th.