Alcohol use has long been recognized as a major contributor to sexual assault, with an estimated 50% of sexual assaults in the U.S. involving drinking by the victim, perpetrator, or both (Abbey, 2002). Beyond the usual harmful effects, alcohol-involved assaults are associated with unique sequelae for female victims, including increased self-blame, stigma, and greater alcohol use to cope (Brown, Testa, & Messman-Moore, 2009; Kaysen, Neighbors, Martell, Fossos, & Larimer, 2006). Moreover, heavier drinking on the part of the perpetrator is associated with more serious incidents of assault (e.g., involving physical force) that result in more severe outcomes for victims (Parkhill, Abbey, & Jacques-Tiura, 2009).  The purpose of this Symposium on Motivation is to bring together a group of experts in the areas of alcohol and sexual aggression to articulate the causes, consequences, and mechanisms of alcohol-involved sexual assault. Speakers will talk about classic and contemporary research and theories on these issues using cutting-edge approaches (e.g., virtual reality, neuroscience, laboratory-based alcohol administration) from a variety of perspectives (perpetrators, victims, bystanders). weiterlesen