Sexual coercion profoundly impacts women's sexual and relational well-being, necessitating an understanding of its underlying processes. This study examines the relationship between sexual coercion victimization experiences and women's sexual and relationship satisfaction. A non-experimental cross-sectional design with 113 women in heterosexual relationships assessed the relationship between experiences of sexual coercion, self-silencing, unmitigated sexual communion, controlled reasons for sex, sexual satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, and sexual desire. Findings indicate that sexual coercion victimization leads to higher levels of self-silencing and prioritization of partners' needs, resulting in lower sexual and relationship satisfaction and reduced sexual desire. The study highlights the need to address self-silencing and prioritization of partners' needs in interventions for sexual coercion victims, offering insights for gender-sensitive programs to mitigate these negative outcomes and encourage full sexual consent.

Sexual harassment remains a widespread issue in higher education, with serious consequences, especially for women within the university setting. In this research, we explored the mediating role of psychological distress in the link between sexual harassment and coping strategies among women in higher education. In total, 637 women from the university community participated in this study, of whom 100 were victims of sexual harassment at their university. In Study 1, sexual harassment was found to predict higher levels of anxiety and depression, which were in turn associated with greater use of coping strategies focused on self-criticism, wishful thinking, and social withdrawal. In Study 2, sexual harassment predicted increased negative affect, which was subsequently associated with a stronger reliance on rumination. Taken together, the findings could suggest that the psychological distress women experience due to sexual harassment may determine their coping strategies. These results underscore the importance of adopting institutional measures that not only address the psychological impact of sexual harassment but also promote more adaptive coping strategies to reduce its long-term impact on women in higher education.

This research tries to determine how personal traits ("The Big Two") and social expectations maintained through social sanctions (fear of negative evaluation) can guide women's decision-making process. We aimed to identify distinct psychological profiles among women based on three constructs-agentic traits, communal traits, and fear of negative evaluation- and examine how these profiles are associated with different patterns of decision-making. Among 345 Spanish female participants from general population, we established three women's profiles: (1) traditionally feminine self-assured (high communal, moderate agentic traits, and low fear of negative evaluation); (2) traditionally feminine approval-oriented (high communal, moderate agentic traits, and high fear of negative evaluation), and (3) non-traditionally feminine self-assured (low communal, high agentic traits, and low fear of negative evaluation). Compared to Profiles 1 and 3, women in Profile 2 made decisions characterized by an avoidant and anxious style, with low self-confidence and social influence, high contextual sensitivity; and were less inclined to make social decisions that go against the expected. These findings contribute to social role theory by demonstrating that women's decision-making cannot be understood only through agency and communion, but must also consider fear of negative evaluation as a key process through which anticipated social sanctions reinforce adherence to gender roles. Practically, the results suggest that reducing evaluative pressures may promote women's freedom of choice in shaping their decisions. At a societal level, the study emphasizes the important role society plays in challenging persistent social sanctions and reducing the gender inequalities that influence women's everyday decisions.

Sexual violence constitutes a pervasive global issue, disproportionately affecting women and girls and resulting in serious health consequences, making it essential to give a voice to survivors. This study employed the transitivity model to analyse the discourse of women survivors, focusing on how they recount and interpret their experiences, alongside quantitative data on their perceptions of severity and risk. Results from the discourse analysis showed that mental processes were most frequent (32%), reflecting a discussion of thoughts, feelings, desires and perceptions, followed by relational processes (26.8%), material processes (25%) and verbal processes (14.2%); meanwhile, behavioural and existential processes were rare (1% each). Quantitative findings indicated that participants reported a higher perceived severity of violence and greater risk to their lives retrospectively than at the time of the incidents. Trauma-informed approaches that validate survivors' perceptions, emotions and meaning-making processes are, therefore, essential. La violencia sexual supone un problema global generalizado que afecta de manera desproporcionada a mujeres y ni & ntilde;as y que conlleva graves consecuencias para la salud, siendo esencial dar voz a las supervivientes. Este estudio emple & oacute; el modelo de transitividad para analizar el discurso de mujeres supervivientes, centr & aacute;ndose en c & oacute;mo relatan e interpretan sus experiencias, adem & aacute;s de recoger informaci & oacute;n cuantitativa sobre sus percepciones de gravedad y riesgo de dichas experiencias. Los resultados del an & aacute;lisis del discurso mostraron que los procesos mentales fueron los m & aacute;s frecuentes (32 %), reflejando discusiones sobre pensamientos, sentimientos, deseos y percepciones, seguidos de los procesos relacionales (26,8 %), los procesos materiales (25 %) y los procesos verbales (14,2 %), mientras que los procesos conductuales y existenciales fueron poco frecuentes (1 % cada uno). Los hallazgos cuantitativos indicaron que las participantes informaron de mayor percepci & oacute;n de la gravedad de la violencia sexual experimentada y un mayor riesgo para sus vidas valor & aacute;ndolo actualmente en comparaci & oacute;n con el momento en que sucedi & oacute;. Por tanto, ser & aacute; conveniente tener en cuenta enfoques basados en el trauma informado que validen las percepciones, emociones y procesos de construcci & oacute;n de significado de las mujeres supervivientes.

Young people experiencing cyber dating abuse (CDA) often rely on coping strategies that compromise their well-being; however, the relational factors associated with these strategies remain understudied. This study addresses this gap by examining (a) whether higher CDA victimization is associated with lower psychological well-being (PWB) and reduced relationship satisfaction through greater use of the conflict-resolution strategies of exit, loyalty, and neglect; (b) whether lower perceived relational power accounts for the association between CDA victimization and destructive strategies (exit and neglect); and (c) whether the degree of inclusion of the other in the self (IOS) moderates the link between relational power and the exit strategy. Across two cross-sectional studies (N = 618), results showed that frequent CDA victimization was associated with increased use of destructive strategies, which in turn were linked to lower PWB and relationship satisfaction (Studies 1 and 2). Moreover, CDA victimization was related to greater use of destructive strategies through reduced relational power (Study 2). The association between lower relational power and intentions to end the relationship (exit strategy) emerged only among individuals with low IOS (Study 2). These findings advance understanding of relational patterns and dynamics in CDA and inform future research on interventions aimed at enhancing CDA-related knowledge and protective strategies.

Intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is a global health and social issue, often occurring in front of bystanders-highlighting the need to encourage their active intervention. This study examined the likelihood of taking action in psychological IPVAW, considering whether bystanders were alone or with others, and how perceived severity and social responsibility influence their response. It also explored factors that encourage or hinder response through qualitative analysis. A total of 201 participants completed an online survey measuring perceived severity, sense of responsibility, likelihood of taking action, and reasons for (not) intervening in a psychological IPVAW scenario. Of these, 101 were randomly assigned to the "multiple bystanders" condition and 99 to the "sole bystander" condition. Perceived severity predicted active intervention only when participants were sole bystanders. The presence of others did not moderate the relationship between self-responsibility and intervention, although a direct link between responsibility and intervention was found. Key motivations for intervening included recognizing violence, perceiving escalation, and feeling social responsibility, while concerns about personal safety discouraged action. These findings underscore the importance of fostering personal responsibility and ensuring bystander safety to effectively promote intervention in psychological IPVAW.

This research (n = 487) extends prior research on relational sacrifices by analyzing the influence of communal strength on the perceived costs and benefits of making work and family sacrifices. It also analyzes the role of feeling authentic and appreciated by the partner for making these sacrifices in the perception. Regarding work sacrifices, the findings documented that those women (but not men) high in communal strength perceived greater benefits of making them because they felt more authentic and feeling greater partner appreciation. Concerning family sacrifices, the results revealed that communal strength did not predict the benefits of making these sacrifices. Nonetheless, we found that both women and men who felt more authentic after making a family sacrifice perceived more benefits because they experienced greater partner appreciation. In general, this pattern seems to reflect that women value family and work sacrifices, with the last ones triggered by the motivation to satisfy the needs of others (communal strength). In contrast, regardless of the communal strength, men continue to value only family sacrifices without considering work sacrifices.

Objective: Exposing women to intimate partner violence (IPV) poses a risk to their physical and mental health, necessitating that they leave the relationship. However, women face various obstacles in doing so, such as cognitive distortions that affect their interpretation of the reality of violence, trapping them and significantly influencing their decision to leave. This scoping review explores, synthesizes, and analyzes the available evidence on the relationship between cognitive distortions and decision-making among women involved in IPV. Method: A systematic search was performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines, utilizing the Web of Science, Scopus, and ProQuest databases. A total of 12 studies (five qualitative, four quantitative, and three mixed methodology) were included according to the inclusion criteria. Results: Self-blame, low attribution of responsibility to the aggressor, minimization of violence or damage, normalization of IPV, denial/loss of self, denial injury, control perceived, hope of change, savior beliefs, “should” belief in the relationship, focus on positive aspects of the relationship or aggressor, and denial other emotional options besides the partner were the main cognitive distortions found in women victims of IPV and related to maintaining IPV. Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of recognizing and addressing cognitive distortions in women, which is crucial in preventing them from becoming trapped in violent relationships. Future research should continue to investigate the role of cognitive distortions in women’s decision-making regarding IPV, as well as the consequences of leaving the aggressor for them.

Deciding to leave a relationship is a complex process, especially when women are involved in intimate partner violence (IPV), requiring consideration of multiple variables. We aimed to examine some predictors-perceived severity, risk assessed, responsibility attributed to the aggressor, and dependency-that may be associated with leaving a violent relationship, considering different types of IPV (physical, psychological, and sexual violence as well as controlling behaviors). Additionally, we explored women's reasons for leaving violent relationships to better understand the decision-making processes involved in the face of diverse forms of violence. A nonexperimental associative study was conducted with a sample of 324 women (M = 31.44, SD = 11.14) who completed an online survey. The results indicated that higher risk assessment predicted leaving relationships characterized by psychological violence, sexual violence, or controlling behaviors. Dependency was associated with a lower likelihood of leaving relationships involving sexual violence whereas greater perceived severity predicted a higher likelihood of leaving relationships involving controlling behaviors. Notably, no predictor was identified for leaving relationships involving physical violence. Furthermore, physical violence was perceived as more severe and life-threatening, and it led to greater attribution of responsibility to the aggressor than sexual or psychological violence or controlling behaviors. This study highlights that perceptions and evaluations of IPV vary depending on the manifestation of violence. These findings are crucial for recognizing the full impact of IPVAW and fostering intolerance of it in all circumstances.

Women face a variety of sociocultural and individual obstacles that can trap them in violent relationships. In this study, we aimed to explore the role of cognitive distortions in women's decision-making (loyalty and exit) within their current relationships, distinguishing between those who experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) and those who did not. Additionally, we examined the moderating effects of the traditional female role and the dependency between the group condition (IPV victims versus nonvictims) and cognitive distortions. Results showed that the IPV victims present higher levels of the traditional female role, dependency, cognitive distortions, and use of loyalty and exit strategies to a greater extent compared with the nonvictims. Similarly, two explanatory models were tested, revealing that women who were victims of IPV by their current partner (compared to the nonvictims group) exhibited greater cognitive distortions and, consequently, were more likely to use loyalty and exit strategies. The moderating effects of the traditional female role among the group of IPV victims and cognitive distortions were obtained. These findings contribute to a better understanding of how cognitive distortions and adherence to the traditional female role can influence women's decision-making (loyalty and exit), reinforcing the notion that they are responsible for maintaining the relationship.

This study explores how ideological, relational, and sociodemographic factors predict women’s perceptions of severity and self-responsibility across different types of intimate partner violence (IPV). Using an intra-subject design, 257 women completed the measures of interest, 191 experiencing IPV and 66 non-victims, according to their responses to WHO instruments. Participants were recruited via dissemination of the study through WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and institutional email. The results indicated that the primary predictors of perceived severity were ambivalent sexism in physical violence; favorable attitudes toward IPV (all forms of violence); feminist identity (physical violence and controlling behaviors); dependency (psychological violence); commitment (physical sexual, and controlling behaviors); education level (physical violence); and age (sexual violence). For attributed self-responsibility, ambivalent sexism and favorable attitudes toward IPV were predictors for controlling behaviors. Commitment and dependency, being a victim and age-influenced psychological violence, whereas being a victim predicted sexual violence. In addition, physical violence is perceived as the most severe and controlling behavior, eliciting greater levels of attributed self-responsibility than other forms of IPV. These results highlight the main predictors of cognitive distortions (perceived severity of violence and attributed self-responsibility), offering insight into the processes that victims in IPV situations undergo.

Direct cyberaggression and cybercontrol, although both are manifestations of cyberdating abuse (CDA), seem to show different intentionality and impact. Furthermore, how young people perceive and experience CDA within heterosexual relationships varies by gender. However, no studies have examined whether the victims' perception of offense and severity in an incident of CDA and the motivations that they attributed to their aggressor's behavior vary by the type of victimization and gender. This research (N = 92 participants; 56.5% men and 43.5% women) was aimed at addressing this gap in the literature. Participants randomly completed an essay in which the CDA victimization (direct cyberaggression vs. cybercontrol) was manipulated and then responded to dependent measures. The results showed that (a) direct cyberaggression (vs. cybercontrol ) victimization was perceived as more offensive and severe; (b) women (vs. men) perceived greater offense and severity in a CDA victimization incident; (c) direct cyberaggression victimization was more frequently attributed to anger/frustration and online disinhibition, whereas cybercontrol victimization was attributed to personality and jealousy; and (d) a higher percentage of men indicated that their partners had perpetrated CDA against them because of the partners' personality, whereas a higher percentage of women indicated that they had been victims of CDA because their partners experienced online disinhibition. We discussed the theoretical and practical contributions of our findings in the CDA field.

Introduction: This article addresses the complex dynamics of sexual consent among female Spanish university student. The research is based on two independent studies, each employing a distinct methodology: study 1 (n = 308) employs a quantitative approach to analyze the relationship between the endorsement of heterosexual scripts, individual variables (sexual satisfaction, sexual assertiveness, and sexual communication styles), and intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) and the reasons for consenting to unwanted sex; study 2 utilized qualitative methods to explore personal narratives and deepen the understanding of consent as experienced and articulated by 8 women. Objectives: Study1 aimed at quantitatively assessing how the endorsement of heterosexual scripts, individual variables, and previous IPSV experiences impact the reasons for consenting to unwanted sex. Study 2 sought to compliment Study 1’s findings and qualitatively investigate the personal and societal narratives that shape the understanding and communication of sexual consent. Results: In Study 1, the findings reveal that endorsements of traditional sexual scripts and histories of IPSV are associated with a higher likelihood of consenting to unwanted sex, while greater sexual satisfaction and assertiveness correlate with reduced consent to unwanted sex. Study 2 provides a thematic exploration of sexual consent, identifying key themes in how consent is negotiated, perceived, and misunderstood within interpersonal and cultural contexts. Conclusions: The combined results of these studies illustrate the nuanced interplay between individual agency, cultural expectations, and past experiences in shaping sexual consent. Underscoring the importance of challenging traditional sexual scripts and enhancing assertiveness, this research contributes to ongoing efforts to foster a consent culture that respects individual boundaries and desires in sexual relationships.

Intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is a global public health problem where multiple factors, such as the perceptions and attitudes toward IPVAW, should be considered to properly address this issue. This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesized the information available about perceived severity of IPVAW by different actors (e.g., victims, perpetrators, students, and professionals), analyzed the relationship between attitudes toward IPVAW and perceived severity of IPVAW, and examined gender differences in perceived severity of IPVAW. A systematic search was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines using Web of Science, Scopus, and ProQuest databases. Studies were included if they (a) provide information about perceived severity of IPVAW (physical, psychological, or sexual violence); (b) the relationship between perception of severity of IPVAW and attitudes toward IPVAW was analyzed empirically; (c) the languages of publication were English or Spanish; and (d) they were not theoretical studies or reviews. To this end, two independent researchers selected studies, resolving discrepancies with a third researcher. A total of 27 studies were included in systematic review and 12 in the meta-analysis. The results showed that men perceived IPVAW as less severe than women. Likewise, a negative relationship was found between perceived IPVAW severity and favorable attitudes toward IPVAW, such as sexist views, victim blaming, excusing the perpetrator, rape myth acceptance, and traditional gender roles adherence. The Classic Fail-Safe n was calculated to ensure the finding was robust against potential publication bias. These findings highlight some of the potential factors to focus on IPVAW prevention programs. However, the number of studies included were limited, requiring more research to generalize the results.

BACKGROUND:The World Health Organization (WHO) developed an instrument to detect violence against women that has been widely used in several countries. Despite this instrument's importance in identifying intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW), it has not been adapted for the Spanish population. The aim of this study was to adapt and validate the WHO violence against women instrument in a sample in Spain, facilitating the detection of IPVAW in this context and comparisons between countries.METHOD:After the instrument was translated and adapted into Spanish, 532 women from the general population in Spain completed it. The initial instrument consisted of 28 items. We deleted three items due to low internal consistency, resulting in 25 items in the final version.RESULTS:Suitable internal consistency was obtained through Confirmatory Factorial Analysis for physical (α = .92), psychological (α = .91), sexual (α = .86), and control behaviors subscales (α = .91) as well as for the total scale (α = .95). The instrument revealed highly prevalent IPVAW in our sample (79.7%).CONCLUSIONS:The use of the Spanish version of the WHO violence against women instrument in Spain seems justified.

Evidence suggests that online disinhibition enhances the likelihood of perpetrating cyberbullying by increasing moral disengagement; however, these psychological mechanisms have not been examined in the context of cyberdating abuse. In the current study (N = 362), we examined whether online disinhibition would predict more frequent direct cyberaggression toward a partner through greater moral disengagement, and explored the moderating role of gender, sexism, and past experiences of cyberdating abuse victimization. The results indicated that online disinhibition was positively correlated with moral disengagement, which in turn predicted more frequent direct cyberaggression toward partners. In addition, participants' gender and past experiences of cyberdating abuse victimization moderated this relationship: (a) more online disinhibition was associated with greater moral disengagement in men (vs. women), which in turn predicted more direct cyberaggression toward partners and (b) more online disinhibition was linked to greater moral disengagement, which in turn predicted more direct cyberaggression perpetration toward partners among individuals with frequent past victimization experiences (vs. low past victimization experiences). These findings highlight online disinhibition and moral disengagement as potential risk factors that may heighten direct cyberaggression against partners, as well as enhance our understanding of the circumstances determining its occurrence. Scholars and practitioners may use this work to develop and test psychoeducational programs to prevent cyberdating abuse through mitigating the occurrence of these disinhibiting factors in romantic.

IntroductionGender role stress emerges as a concept to try to explain the health difficulties presented by men and women due to gender socialization. Thus, gender role stress arises when individuals feel stressed due to their perceived inability to fulfill the demands of their gender role, or when they believe that a particular situation necessitates behavior traditionally attributed to the opposite gender. To evaluate the presence of gender role stress in individuals, two scales were developed: the masculine gender role stress scale and the feminine gender role scale.ObjectiveTo identify the main thematic areas studied in the behavioral sciences with the feminine gender role stress scale (FGRSS) and the masculine gender role stress scale (MGRSS) as main variables, specifically examining their contributions to the understanding of the attitudes and behaviors of individuals who are affected by gender role stress. We also aimed to analyze the difference, both quantitatively and qualitatively, in terms of scientific literature produced between the scales.MethodWe followed the preferred items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) checklist. A scoping review of the literature was conducted using systematic techniques, resulting in the inclusion of 87 articles utilizing either of the two scales.Results80% (n = 72) of the articles employed the MGRSS, while 20% (n = 18) utilized the FGRSS. The MGRSS articles were also the most frequently cited in the literature. The FGRSS has been predominantly used to examine the implications for women’s well-being, whereas the MGRSS has primarily been employed to predict disruptive behaviors in men.ConclusionThis scoping review highlights disparities in the scientific literature concerning the examination of feminine and masculine gender role stress and its consequences for people. Specifically, it points out the limited investigation into feminine gender role stress and its ramifications compared to masculine gender role stress. These findings indicates the lack of a gender perspective even in research intended to study it, and outline the importance of more research with a gender perspective where women are the aim of study.

Intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is a public health and social responsibility issue affecting women worldwide. The role of society is essential to help victims to get out of the violent relationship and reduce their risk of revictimization. In this regard, the social response to IPVAW depends to some extent on public beliefs and attitudes toward IPVAW. Hence, this research explores the direct relationship between sexism and the willingness to intervene in cases of IPVAW, indirectly through acceptance of myths of IPVAW, perceived severity of IPVAW, risk assessed of victims’ health and life as well as to the establishment of equal relations, attribution of the responsibility to the aggressor, and victim blaming. A Spanish sample of 487 participants was collected through incidental sampling. Participants responded to an online survey that was disseminated via email and social media. A parallel path analysis model showed that greater sexism was associated with lower willingness to intervene in cases IPVAW, via greater acceptance of the myths of IPVAW and less attribution of responsibility to the aggressor. IPVAW perceived severity, risk assessed, and victim blaming did not explain the effect of sexism on willingness to intervene. This research emphasizes the need to focus on egalitarian education that mitigates sociocultural risk factors such as patriarchal beliefs and attitudes that explain IPVAW and favors a climate of acceptance and tolerance of this problem, making it difficult for victims to break with the violent relationship.

Previous literature suggests that in masculinized domains, a stereotypical portrayal of women has a negative impact on society's perception of them. However, the influence of media representation on people's perceptions of athletes depending on their gender, as well as its possible consequences for both men and women, remains unexplored in the sports sphere. Through two experimental studies employing a scenario methodology, we aimed to address this gap in the literature: In Study 1 (N = 190), we tested the influence of the media's representation (focused on the professional field vs. extraprofessional field) and the athlete's gender (man vs. woman) on perceptions, and in Study 2 (N = 625), we examined the effect of gender for an athlete receiving media coverage focused on the extraprofessional field. Study 1's results showed that when media representation was based on the professional (vs. extraprofessional) field, participants perceived the news as more credible, believed that the media valued the athlete's capacity to a greater extent, and attributed more merit to the athlete. Moreover, Study 2, focused on an extraprofessional field, indicated that when a man athlete (vs. woman athlete) was portrayed, participants were more likely to consider the news content accurate, which, in turn, was associated with a higher attribution of competence to the athlete and a higher intention to consume sports media in the future. The study will hopefully help reduce beliefs about existing stereotypes as well as discrimination against women, whether in sports or in any other field (e.g., professionally or in education).

Ideal partner preferences (i.e., ratings of the desirability of attributes like attractiveness or intelligence) are the source of numerous foundational findings in the interdisciplinary literature on human mating. Recently, research on the predictive validity of ideal partner preference matching (i.e., Do people positively evaluate partners who match vs. mismatch their ideals?) has become mired in several problems. First, articles exhibit discrepant analytic and reporting practices. Second, different findings emerge across laboratories worldwide, perhaps because they sample different relationship contexts and/or populations. This registered report-partnered with the Psychological Science Accelerator-uses a highly powered design (N = 10,358) across 43 countries and 22 languages to estimate preference-matching effect sizes. The most rigorous tests revealed significant preference-matching effects in the whole sample and for partnered and single participants separately. The "corrected pattern metric" that collapses across 35 traits revealed a zero-order effect of β = .19 and an effect of β = .11 when included alongside a normative preference-matching metric. Specific traits in the "level metric" (interaction) tests revealed very small (average β = .04) effects. Effect sizes were similar for partnered participants who reported ideals before entering a relationship, and there was no consistent evidence that individual differences moderated any effects. Comparisons between stated and revealed preferences shed light on gender differences and similarities: For attractiveness, men's and (especially) women's stated preferences underestimated revealed preferences (i.e., they thought attractiveness was less important than it actually was). For earning potential, men's stated preferences underestimated-and women's stated preferences overestimated-revealed preferences. Implications for the literature on human mating are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).