Predicting Men's Acceptance of Sexual Violence Myths Through Conformity to Masculine Norms, Sexism, and "Locker Room Talk"

In 2017, the #MeToo movement prompted dialogues about sexual harassment and assault. Men's engagement in discussions of women as sexual objects is often attributed to "locker room talk" with limited attention to how beliefs about sexual violence are shaped by these conversations. The current study examined relations between conformity to masculine norms, attitudes toward women, locker room talk. and endorsement of sexual harassment and rape myths among men in the United States (N = 424). More specifically. this study explored the moderating effects of exposure to locker room talk and pressure to engage in locker room talk. Consistent with our hypotheses, pressure to engage in locker room talk moderated relations between conformity to masculine norms, attitudes toward women. and rape myth acceptance. Inconsistent with our hypotheses, exposure to locker room talk did not moderate relations between conformity to masculine norms, attitudes toward women, rape myth acceptance, and sexual harassment myth acceptance. The current study expands the literature on relations between conformity to masculine norms and sexual harassment and rape myth acceptance, two factors that are theorized to negatively impact men's ability to engage in healthy romantic relationships. It is also the only study to date to examine the unique contributions of exposure to locker room talk and pressure to engage in locker room talk. Understanding the associations between these variables may inform interventions to address problematic norms that encourage men to engage in these behaviors.