Keown, K. and Gannon, T.A. and Ward, T. (2008) The effects of visual priming on information processing in child sexual offenders. Journal of Sexual Aggression, 14 (2). pp. 145-159. ISSN 1355-2600.
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| Official URL http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13552600802248114 |
Abstract
Child sexual offenders are hypothesized to hold offence-supportive beliefs that set them apart from others. The current study seeks support for this view via a cognitive-experimental approach. Child sexual offenders and offender controls were exposed to pictures of semi-clothed children (priming condition) or clothed, mature adults (control condition). Participants then read ambiguous sentences describing children's actions that could be interpreted in a sexualized manner. Next, participants completed a surprise recognition test in which half the sentences were re-presented in an unambiguously sexual form, and half in an unambiguously non-sexual form. Contrary to hypotheses, primed and/or control child sexual offenders did not show a memory bias for sexualized sentences, suggesting that they did not interpret the original sentences in line with offence-supportive beliefs. Results raise questions about whether child sexual offenders universally hold abnormal beliefs that facilitate their offending. Results also highlight the need for further experimental research within this field.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled keywords: | Child sexual offenders; child molesters; beliefs; cognitive distortions; priming; information processing |
| Subjects: | B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology |
| Divisions: | Faculties > Social Sciences > School of Psychology > Applied Psychology |
| Depositing User: | Theresa Gannon |
| Date Deposited: | 21 Apr 2009 11:14 |
| Last Modified: | 06 May 2009 14:30 |
| Resource URI: | http://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/15173 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes) |
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