CHANGING THE SEXUAL AGGRESSION SUPPORTIVE ATTITUDES OF MEN - A PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL INTERVENTION

Because specific, identifiable attitudes of men have been associated with sexual aggression toward women, this study was undertaken to assess a psychoeducational intervention to change these attitudes and, thus, to help prevent sexual aggression. This intervention, based on the most widely researched current model of attitude change, Petty and Cacioppo's (1986) elaboration likelihood model (ELM), was evaluated for its impact on sexual aggression-supportive attitudes of college men. A group receiving the ELM-based intervention showed significantly more attitude change than did a control group (p < .05). One month later, in an unrelated naturalistic context, intervention subjects showed evidence of continued attitude change compared with control subjects (p < .05). Measures corresponding with three key components of the ELM significantly predicted attitude change, further indicating the model's external validity to the domain of sexual assault-relevant attitudes.