Using an Experimental Video Paradigm, College Women Reported Greater Perceived Threat and Increased Negative Affect after Exposure to Sexual Harassment By a Male Peer Than Those in a Control Condition

The ambiguous nature of social interactions between coeds may lead to under reporting of sexual harassment. A controlled experiment found that via a video paradigm, women reported greater threat appraisals and increases in negative affect after exposure to sexual harassment as compared to those exposed to a neutral interaction.