Several studies have been conducted in regards to blaming the victims for the unfortunate events that have befallen them. One theory mentioned in many of the studies is Shaver’s (1970) Defensive Attribution Theory (DAT), in which he hypothesized that individuals blame victims when they feel the victim is more interchangeable with themselves. This theory is an important aspect to consider when studying the effects of in-group/out-group on victim blaming. An in-group member would be a person who the participants identify with based on similar characteristics whereas an out-group member would be less similar to participants (Lodewijkx et al., 2005). With DAT in mind, the question is how does the identification with an individual in terms of sex,
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This study about narrative perspectives and victim blaming had the purpose of studying if first-person or third-person narratives led to more victim blaming/sympathy. It was found that the use of first-person narratives actually increased the amount of victim blaming. The experimenters concluded that first-person narratives made the reader feel the need to psychologically distance themselves from the victim. Thus, resulting in participants blaming the victim more than when they were presented with a third-person narrative (Cao & Decker, …show more content…
Some studies show that more identification leads to less victim blaming and some studies show more identification leads to more victim blame. This shows that the Defensive Attribution Theory does not apply in all cases of high victim blaming. Being that most studies used Likert type scales or questionnaires to gain information, the spectrum of reasons why people victim blame are limited. More studies should be conducted in which the participants are asked open ended questions about the story of a victim. Also, perhaps an open discussion on the matter could be an option. An open discussion could make way for a more relaxed and easier way to report one’s reactions. These studies have made a profound contribution to the understanding of victim blaming and brings society one step closer to preventing victims from being victimized
This study about narrative perspectives and victim blaming had the purpose of studying if first-person or third-person narratives led to more victim blaming/sympathy. It was found that the use of first-person narratives actually increased the amount of victim blaming. The experimenters concluded that first-person narratives made the reader feel the need to psychologically distance themselves from the victim. Thus, resulting in participants blaming the victim more than when they were presented with a third-person narrative (Cao & Decker, …show more content…
Some studies show that more identification leads to less victim blaming and some studies show more identification leads to more victim blame. This shows that the Defensive Attribution Theory does not apply in all cases of high victim blaming. Being that most studies used Likert type scales or questionnaires to gain information, the spectrum of reasons why people victim blame are limited. More studies should be conducted in which the participants are asked open ended questions about the story of a victim. Also, perhaps an open discussion on the matter could be an option. An open discussion could make way for a more relaxed and easier way to report one’s reactions. These studies have made a profound contribution to the understanding of victim blaming and brings society one step closer to preventing victims from being victimized