Alcohol Use, Rape Myth Acceptance, Rape Empathy, and Sexual Assault History Influence the Believability of a Hypothetical Victim's Report of Sexual Assault.

This article examines how contextual factors—specifically alcohol use and whether the alleged perpetrator is a student-athlete or a non-athlete student—and individual rater characteristics influence college students' perceptions of the believability of a hypothetical sexual assault (SA) victim's account. In a study of 449 undergraduates, alcohol presence in the vignette significantly decreased believability ratings, while student-athlete status of the perpetrator did not affect believability. Additionally, participants with higher rape myth acceptance and lower rape empathy were less likely to fully believe the victim's account, and women with a history of completed rape were more likely to find the account believable. These findings highlight the complex interplay of situational and attitudinal factors affecting perceptions of SA reports on college campuses, with implications for improving campus responses and supporting survivors.