Perceptions of Gender Differences in Filicide
Date of Graduation
Spring 2003
Degree
Master of Science in Psychology
Department
Psychology
Committee Chair
Donn Kaiser
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine wheather people attribute certain homicide motives to parents who kill their children. Ninety-nine participants read six scenarios depicting filicide and were asked to judge the role of five different motives, based on Scott's (1973) theory of filicide. Participants were assigned randomly to one of three groups. In group A, the offenders were depicted as males; in group B the offenders were depicted as females. The control group did not rate the scenarios, but completed the following scales along with groups A and B: demographic survey, Traditional Family Ideology Scale (TFI) and Sex Role Stereotyping Scale (SRSS). Analyses indicated no significant differences between male and female participants' rating of motive and no significant differences based on gender of the offender. Future research should focus on data collection from more diverse samples and improved scenarios.
Subject Categories
Psychology
Copyright
© Kimberly J. Benoit
Recommended Citation
Benoit, Kimberly J., "Perceptions of Gender Differences in Filicide" (2003). MSU Graduate Theses. 1738.
https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/1738
Dissertation/Thesis
