Citation

Silver N, Hovick SR. J. Health Commun. 2018; 23(6): 505-513.

Affiliation

School of Communication , The Ohio State University , Columbus , OH , USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/10810730.2018.1473532

PMID

29843565

Abstract

This study aims to examine the influence of rape myth acceptance (RMA) and the perceived salience of sexual violence on the cognitive processing of an affirmative consent campaign active on the campus where research was conducted. As part of a midcourse evaluation of the Consent is Sexy (CIS) campaign (N = 285), a subsample of participants who reported prior exposure to campaign posters (N = 182) was asked to review four campaign posters and indicate the extent to which they processed the message in the posters systematically. Robust gender differences in perceived salience of sexual violence, supportive attitudes, and perceived behavioral control (PBC) toward establishing consent were mediated by RMA. Moreover, robust gender differences in the systematic processing of the campaign were mediated by RMA and perceived salience in serial. Implications of the influence of rape myths and perceived salience on the cognitive processing of affirmed consent campaigns are discussed with respect to both campaign message design and implementation.

Language: en