Alcohol Myopia, Objectification, and Sexual Assault

July 6, 2023 updated by: University of Nebraska Lincoln

Integrating Alcohol Myopia and Objectification to Understand Sexual Assault

The present project integrates previous research on factors associated with alcohol-involved sexual assault, with research on how intoxication alters attention and social perceptions in ways that increase the risk of sexual aggression and victimization. Specifically, this project examines whether alcohol intoxication on the part of a male perpetrator impairs attentional capacity and leads to a narrowing of the perceptual field causing a dehumanizing perspective of women as sexual objects for men's pleasure rather than individuals with thoughts and feelings, thereby increasing the propensity for sexual aggression. The present research also examines whether women's responses to this sexual objectification from men interfere with risk perception in sexual situations, particularly when women are drinking, increasing the likelihood of sexual victimization.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

These studies will provide a comprehensive test of our proposed model of alcohol-involved sexual assault that includes situation-specific mechanisms and key moderators of sexual violence. Specifically, hypotheses will be tested in the context of two carefully controlled laboratory studies. In Study 1, laboratory alcohol administration procedures will be used to manipulate intoxication (vs. placebo control) in men. Impaired attention and objectification will then be measured multi-modally including behavioral, self-report, and implicit measures. Finally, sexual aggression will be measured with a laboratory-based analogue of sexual assault. Study 2 will include women and follow the same alcohol administration procedures as Study 1. Additionally, mirroring men's objectification, objectifying gazes (vs. eye gazes) will also be manipulated. Impaired attention, self-objectification, and decreased sexual risk perceptions will then be assessed. Prior the laboratory visit, all participants will complete a battery of questionnaires to assess key moderators including a history of sexual assault perpetration and victimization, prior sexual objectification and self-objectification, as well as alcohol-related sex expectances and rape myth acceptance. The overall model will be analyzed within a conditional process model framework.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
359

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Nebraska
      • Lincoln, Nebraska, United States, 68588
        • University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

17 years to 26 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 21-30 years of age
  • at least social drinkers
  • single
  • men attracted to women, women attracted to men

Exclusion Criteria:

  • current/past alcohol dependence (as assessed by a score of 8 or higher on the Alcohol Dependence Scale), alcohol-related treatment, or hospitalization due to alcohol use
  • any past serious head injuries (as indicated by HELPS Brain Injury Screening Tool)
  • serious psychological symptoms (defined as past psychotic, paranoid, or bipolar disorders, or current major depression)
  • abstinence from alcohol use
  • a condition or medication use in which alcohol consumption is medically contraindicated
  • any legal restriction against drinking (e.g., as condition of probation or parole)
  • presence of a positive breath alcohol concentration (BAC) upon arrival to the laboratory
  • if the participant is less than six feet tall and weighs over 250 pounds or is over six feet tall and weighs over 300 pounds
  • if a female participant is pregnant

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Males and Alcohol Intoxication
Men assigned to alcohol intoxication arm (target BAC .08%)
Behavioral: Alcohol intoxication
Men and women assigned to moderate alcohol dose condition (target BAC .08%) or placebo control condition with NIAAA approved alcohol administration procedures
Placebo Comparator: Males and Placebo Control
Men assigned to placebo control arm
Behavioral: Alcohol intoxication
Men and women assigned to moderate alcohol dose condition (target BAC .08%) or placebo control condition with NIAAA approved alcohol administration procedures
Experimental: Females and Alcohol Intoxication and Objectifying Gazes
Women assigned to alcohol intoxication arm (target BAC .08%) and objectifying gazes arm
Behavioral: Alcohol intoxication
Men and women assigned to moderate alcohol dose condition (target BAC .08%) or placebo control condition with NIAAA approved alcohol administration procedures
Behavioral: Objectification
Women assigned to objectifying gazes condition or eye contact control condition
Experimental: Females and Alcohol Intoxication and Eye Gazes
Women assigned to alcohol intoxication arm (target BAC .08%) and eye gazes arm
Behavioral: Alcohol intoxication
Men and women assigned to moderate alcohol dose condition (target BAC .08%) or placebo control condition with NIAAA approved alcohol administration procedures
Behavioral: Objectification
Women assigned to objectifying gazes condition or eye contact control condition
Experimental: Females and Placebo Control and Objectifying Gazes
Women assigned to placebo control arm and objectifying gazes arm
Behavioral: Alcohol intoxication
Men and women assigned to moderate alcohol dose condition (target BAC .08%) or placebo control condition with NIAAA approved alcohol administration procedures
Behavioral: Objectification
Women assigned to objectifying gazes condition or eye contact control condition
Placebo Comparator: Females and Placebo Control and Eye Gazes
Women assigned to placebo control arm and eye gazes arm
Behavioral: Alcohol intoxication
Men and women assigned to moderate alcohol dose condition (target BAC .08%) or placebo control condition with NIAAA approved alcohol administration procedures
Behavioral: Objectification
Women assigned to objectifying gazes condition or eye contact control condition

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Laboratory analogue of sexual aggression
Time Frame: 20 minutes post alcohol or placebo dosing
After learning that a woman does not like sexual media, male participants choose to show her a sexually explicit video or control video (selection of the sexually explicit video indicates more sexual aggression)
20 minutes post alcohol or placebo dosing
Sexual assault vignette measure of risk perception
Time Frame: 20 minutes post alcohol or placebo dosing
Female participants read 18 vignettes describing a sexual interaction between a man and a woman that gets progressively riskier for sexual assault and indicate when they would leave the interaction (scores range from 1-18 and higher scores indicate worse risk perception)
20 minutes post alcohol or placebo dosing

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Eye-tracking measure of sexual objectification
Time Frame: 2 minutes post alcohol or placebo dosing
Male participants wear a portable eye tracker and discuss media preferences with a female confederate while dwell time on the female confederate's face and body is monitored (longer dwell times on the woman's body and shorter dwell times on the woman's face indicate more sexual objectification)
2 minutes post alcohol or placebo dosing
Eye-tracking measure of self-objectification
Time Frame: 2 minutes post alcohol or placebo dosing
Female participants wear a portable eye tracker and interact with a male confederate in front of a mirror while dwell time on the participant's body is monitored (longer dwell times on the participant's body indicates more self-objectification)
2 minutes post alcohol or placebo dosing
Object brief-implicit association task
Time Frame: 25 minutes post alcohol or placebo dosing
On a computer, male participants sort stimuli words representing the categories object (e.g., tool), human (e.g., person), women (e.g., female), and men (male). Participants must respond as quickly and accurately as possible to categorize the words on a computer screen to object, human, women, and men categories via a computer key press. Responding faster to object and woman words and slower to woman and human words indicates implicit objectification of women
25 minutes post alcohol or placebo dosing
Self-object brief-implicit association task
Time Frame: 25 minutes post alcohol or placebo dosing
On a computer, female participants sort stimuli words representing the categories object (e.g., tool), human (e.g., person), me (e.g., self), and others (them). Participants must respond as quickly and accurately as possible to categorize the words on a computer screen to object, human, me, and others categories via a computer key press. Responding faster to object and me words and slower to human and me words indicates implicit self-objectification.
25 minutes post alcohol or placebo dosing
Self-report state mindful attention awareness scale
Time Frame: 30 minutes post alcohol or placebo dosing
Male and female participants self-report how attentive they feel on a 0 to 6 point scale (averaged lower scores indicate more mindful attention awareness)
30 minutes post alcohol or placebo dosing
Self-report other-objectification questionnaire
Time Frame: 35 minutes post alcohol or placebo dosing
Male participants self-report how frequently they objectified the female confederate on a 1 to 6 point scale (averaged higher scores indicate more other-objectification)
35 minutes post alcohol or placebo dosing
Self-report self-objectification questionnaire
Time Frame: 35 minutes post alcohol or placebo dosing
Female participants self-report how important appearance related attributes (e.g., sex appeal) are important to their self-concept relative to non-appearance attributes (e.g., hobbies) on a 0 to 9 point scale. Appearance attributes and non-appearance attributes are separately summed and non-appearance attribute scores are subtracted from appearance attribute scores (higher scores indicate more self-objectification)
35 minutes post alcohol or placebo dosing
Saliva collection
Time Frame: 5 minutes pre alcohol or placebo dosing, 5 minutes post alcohol dosing, and 20 minutes post alcohol or placebo dosing
Female participants provide saliva samples to assess cortisol associated with stress responses
5 minutes pre alcohol or placebo dosing, 5 minutes post alcohol dosing, and 20 minutes post alcohol or placebo dosing

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Nebraska Lincoln

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Sarah Gervais, PhD, University of Nebraska Lincoln

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
April 22, 2019

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 31, 2022

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 31, 2022

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 2, 2019

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 17, 2019

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 20, 2019

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 10, 2023

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 6, 2023

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
July 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 18599 (UKCLRN)
  • R01AA025090 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

De-identified individual participant data may be shared with other researchers (e.g., posted to the Open Science Framework) to aid with reproducibility and replicability of science.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

De-identified data may be made available to interested researchers when papers based on that data are published in scientific journals.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Interested researchers will be required to have an Open Science Framework account.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • ANALYTIC_CODE

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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