Case Study #2

Note: This was not the picture used in study.
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This study looks into whether women find dominance attractive in killers and whether women with certain personality characteristics are more likely to find killers attractive.

• 190 female undergraduates.
• Completed the same questionnaires as Study 1.
• Participants read one of three stories on the computer. The stories appeared to be from a site called True Crime Library. 
•  In the “dominant” condition, the individual was described as a 6’2”, 210 pound killer who murdered three young women. 
• The first two girls had been “mutilated” and “stabbed repeatedly.” They had been “tortured” and their bodies showed signs of “bruises and strangulation.” 
• It also was mentioned that the killer tied up the women with rope.
•  During the third murder, the killer nearly cut off the woman’s head.
•  In the “less dominant” condition, all components of the story were held constant with the exception that the killer was 37 described as being 5’9”, 160 pounds and having used a gun to shoot the victims. 
• No mention was made of stabbing, ropes, or injuries to the bodies beyond the gunshot wounds. 
• In the “bank robber” condition, the individual was described as being 6’2”, 210 pounds and having robbed several banks. 
• During one robbery, he held a gun to a woman’s head and yelled at the employees. 
• During another robbery, he shot a woman in the foot; however, he did not kill anyone. 

Vicary stated that the purpose of including the third condition was to determine whether women with certainly personality characteristics may be more or less attracted to someone who has killed versus a criminal who has not killed.  

After reading the stories, the women answered the same questions regarding attraction as the first study and additional questions such as:

1. How exciting would it be to go on a date with him? 

2. How exciting would it be to have sex with him? 

3. How exiting would it be to get a letter from him?  

Participants also were asked to rate on a 1-7 scale how dominant and famous they found the individual. Again, they were told that the stories were fictional.

Results

 Results revealed that women considered the killer who stabbed as more dominant than the killer who used a gun. Specifically, women were more attracted to the bank robber than the killer. Vicary also found that dominance does not appear to be a characteristic that women find attractive. Also, women found thoughts of a relationship with the lesser dominant killer to be more exciting.

-  I suppose that dominance could be shown as a form of power. This does prove other theories to be true, that woman want the power and control. Hence, why they would not seek a dominant. So why are women attracted to murders?- it sure doesn't have anything to do with the killers dominance.

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/bitstream/handle/2142/26208/Vicary_Amanda.pdf?sequence=1