Exploring the responsivity of men's perceptions of sexual interest: The impact of sexual consent communications, acute intoxication, and past perpetration of sexual aggression.

The study of sexual aggression (SA) perpetration has identified several key factors that contribute to its occurrence, including sexual misperception, alcohol intoxication, and past perpetration. Sexual misperception refers to the erroneous perception of a potential partner's sexual interest or consent, which can lead to misunderstandings and potentially harmful situations. Alcohol intoxication has also been linked to SA, as it can impair judgment and decision-making abilities. Additionally, individuals with a history of past perpetration are more likely to engage in SA. However, the ways in which these factors interact with one another during a sexual interaction are not well understood. To address this knowledge gap, a recent study investigated how men's perceptions of a woman's sexual interest change over the course of a hypothetical sexual interaction, and how their intoxication, past perpetration, and the woman's consent cues influence those perceptions. The study involved 97 single male social drinkers aged 21-30 with a history of risky sexual behavior. Participants were randomly assigned to either a sober control group or an intoxicated group with a blood alcohol concentration (BrAC) of 0.10%. They then read a hypothetical scenario in which a man and woman engaged in nonpenetrative sex, and the woman expressed nonconsent both nonverbally and verbally. At several points during the scenario, participants rated the woman's sexual interest. The results showed that men's perceptions of the woman's sexual interest significantly decreased following verbal expressions of nonconsent. Interestingly, there were no significant differences between the ratings of intoxicated and sober participants following verbal expressions of nonconsent. However, men with a history of perpetration rated the woman's sexual interest as higher than nonperpetrators, even after multiple verbal expressions of nonconsent. These findings suggest that intoxication does not necessarily impede men's ability to adjust their perceptions of a woman's sexual interest following verbal expressions of nonconsent. Instead, past perpetration appears to play a more significant role in shaping men's perceptions of a woman's sexual interest, highlighting the need for further research and intervention strategies to prevent SA. Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40474758/