Brooks, Jordan
(2024)
Attitudes, biology or environment: sexualised behaviour in the workplace.
DForenPsy thesis, University of Nottingham.
Abstract
Workplace Sexual Harassment (WSH) research predominantly focuses on the effect that sexual harassment has on (female) victims or the organisation, with little being understood about the key characteristics or underlying motivations of those who display WSH. This has implications for our understanding of WSH and identifying appropriate interventions. This thesis aimed to investigate the key characteristics and motivations for displaying WSH, examining the impact of environmental, personality, and/or societal factors for displaying such behaviour.
Methods used to explore these issues included a systematic review, two empirical research studies, and a psychometric critique. Following an introduction to the concept of sexual harassment in Chapter One, which also provides an overview of the WSH literature and thesis aims, Chapter Two contains a systematic review of the literature on the psychological factors linked to sexually harassing behaviours in the
workplace. A review of six studies, dated between 1998 and 2018, found that no research had been undertaken with perpetrators of WSH, rather victim’s perspectives were often used to describe perpetrator characteristics. As such, only considered presumptions can be inferred. These included the impact of a non-restrictive environment, the opportunity to display, and the characteristics of the victim. Another
limitation of the reviewed studies included the lack of UK data. These limitations highlighted the need for further high-quality research.
Chapter Three presents qualitative research, undertaken with four males who self-identified as displaying sexual behaviour in the workplace. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), three superordinate themes and four subordinate themes were identified. Results provided an understanding into the cognitive processes that
perpetrators use to justify their behaviour. Chapter Four comprises a quantitative research report, examining the difference in personality characteristics, attitudes towards women, and behaviour displayed in the workplace/a licensed venue, between those who do and do not display WSH. Results highlighted a difference in the type and amount of sexual
behaviour demonstrated in the workplace and a licensed venue, as well as differences in the personality characteristics of those who do and do not display WSH. There was no difference in the attitudes towards women.
Chapter Five presents a critical review of the updated Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale (uIRMA, McMahon & Farmer, 2011), which was used as a measure in Chapter Four. The review explores the literature on the validity and reliability of the uIRMA and considers its strengths and limitations. The critique demonstrates that the uIRMA is a reliable and valid tool for assessing rape myth acceptance, though is not without its limitations, including concerns regarding generalisability. The thesis conclusions are presented in Chapter Six, drawing together the findings from each chapter, discussing the factors associated with perpetrating WSH, whilst also recommending how these findings can be utilised for intervention and prevention methods. The chapter also highlights the need for future research and to consider female perpetrators of WSH.
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