Exposure to anti-feminist conspiracy theories intensifies rape myth acceptance among sexist individuals

In recent research published in the journal Violence Against Women, scientists have shed light on the relationship between the belief in conspiracy theories about feminists, sexism, and the acceptance of rape myths. Their findings suggest that individuals harboring higher levels of hostile sexism are more inclined to accept rape myths, particularly when exposed to feminist conspiracy theories. This connection highlights the interplay between political predispositions, sexist ideologies, and conspiracy beliefs in shaping attitudes toward sexual violence.

“Conspiracy theories can take an intergroup focus, where targets of conspiracy theories can become the victims of prejudice and discrimination,” said study author Daniel Jolley, an assistant professor in social psychology at the University of Nottingham.

“In our work, we wanted to examine whether conspiracy theories about feminists – that propose feminists are acting secretly for their self-interests (e.g., secretly dismantling traditional family values) for their own gain – can inspire prejudices toward women, specifically sexual prejudices (i.e., the endorsement of rape myths).”

“We were also keen to explore the effect of feminist conspiracy beliefs and sexist ideology on (sexual prejudice). It was thought that a link between feminist conspiracy beliefs and rape myths could result from such beliefs upholding a hostile sexist view of women. In our work, we wanted to examine this empirically with a correlational and experimental design.”

The researchers conducted two distinct studies. Study 1 aimed to establish a link between the belief in feminist conspiracy theories and rape myth acceptance, exploring whether this relationship was influenced by the level of sexist attitudes. They surveyed 201 UK residents, measuring their belief in general and feminist-specific conspiracy theories, levels of hostile and benevolent sexism, and acceptance of rape myths, among other factors.

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The researchers found that belief in feminist conspiracy theories was significantly associated with higher acceptance of rape myths. In other words, those who agreed with the statement “Feminists are involved in secret plots and schemes” also tended to agree with statements such as “If a woman is raped while she is drunk, she is at least somewhat responsible for letting things get out of hand.”

This relationship was particularly pronounced for individuals exhibiting high levels of hostile sexism, suggesting that the endorsement of feminist conspiracy theories contributes to rape myth acceptance especially among those who already harbor antagonistic attitudes towards women. On the other hand, benevolent sexism did not show a moderating effect on this relationship, pointing to the specific role of hostile sexism in linking feminist conspiracy beliefs to sexual prejudice.

In Study 2, the researchers took an experimental approach to further investigate these dynamics. They exposed 578 participants to either feminist conspiracy content or a control condition, then measured their belief in feminist conspiracy theories and acceptance of rape myths. The researchers also collected data on hostile sexism before the experimental manipulation to examine its role in the relationship between conspiracy exposure and rape myth acceptance.

The experimental manipulation successfully increased belief in feminist conspiracy theories among participants exposed to the pro-conspiracy content, compared to those in the control group. This effect was found to be moderated by participants’ pre-existing levels of hostile sexism; those with higher levels of hostile sexism showed a stronger increase in belief in feminist conspiracy theories following exposure to the conspiracy content.

But the researchers found no direct effect of conspiracy theory exposure on rape myth acceptance overall. Instead, the relationship between exposure to feminist conspiracy theories and rape myth acceptance was conditional on the level of hostile sexism.

Specifically, for individuals with higher hostile sexism, the increase in belief in feminist conspiracy theories after exposure was associated with higher acceptance of rape myths. This suggests that the pathway from conspiracy theory exposure to the endorsement of rape myths is significantly influenced by pre-existing sexist attitudes.

“Our research demonstrates that belief in feminist conspiracy theories is positively linked with the endorsement of rape myths (i.e., sexual prejudice) and that this link is strengthened for individuals who report higher levels of hostile sexist attitudes,” Jolley told PsyPost.

“Also, we uncovered that exposure to feminist conspiracy theories was associated with rape myths through an increase in feminist conspiracy beliefs. Still, again, the effect was strengthened with higher levels of hostile sexism. This work supports the notion that feminist conspiracy beliefs and sexual prejudice likely result from such a link upholding a person’s sexist predispositions.”

The study, “Sexism and Feminist Conspiracy Beliefs: Hostile Sexism Moderates the Link Between Feminist Conspiracy Beliefs and Rape Myth Acceptance,” was authored by Daniel Jolley, Silvia Mari, Tanya Schrader, and Darel Cookson.