The current study examined how participant (i.e., gender) and situational (
i.e., couple-specific sexual intercourse history)factors influence attribut
ions about stranger, early dating, late dating, and marital rape. Two hundr
ed undergraduates were randomly assigned to read one of four levels of vict
im-perpetrator relationship vignettes. In addition, within the two dating r
elationship conditions, the couple's sexual intercourse history was manipul
ated. As the degree of acquaintance between the perpetrator and victim incr
eased, the participants incorporated more rape-supportive and sex role ster
eotypical attributions. participants also made more negative attributions a
bout the date rapes when the couple was thought to have previously engaged
in consensual sexual intercourse. There were no differences in attributions
across the date and marital rape conditions when the participants were inf
ormed that the dating couples had previously engaged in sexual intercourse,
and several gender differences Here obtained in these comparisons. The soc
ial and legal implications of these findings are discussed.