The Selective Use of Rape-Victim Stereotypes to Protect Culturally Similar Perpetrators

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Sage Publications via the DOI in this record.  Powerful stereotypes exist about how female rape victims should act. For example, victims are expected to physically resist their attacker and immediately report their assault. In reality, some victims are too shocked to physically resist or too traumatized to immediately go to police. Nevertheless, counterstereotypic-victim behavior can undermine fair prosecution outcomes, especially for acquaintance-rape victims. In the current research, we examined the influence of perceivers’ cultural similarity to the perpetrator, and the stereotypicality of rape-victim behaviour, on victim and perpetrator blame, punishment severity, and guilt likelihood. We varied an acquaintance-rape scenario, to present stereotypical/counterstereotypical rape-victim behaviour, and the cultural similarity/dissimilarity of perpetrators to participants, who were White-Australian women and men, aged between 18 and 74 (N = 237). In the victim-stereotypic condition, reactions did not vary as a function of perpetrator-cultural similarity. However, in the counterstereotypic-victim condition, culturally similar (compared to culturally dissimilar) perpetrators were considered less guilty and less deserving of punishment. Moderated mediation indicated that the greater leniency shown towards culturally similar perpetrators was explained by increases in victim blame and decreases in perpetrator blame. To decrease bias when prosecuting rape perpetrators, we recommend challenging the selective use of counterstereotypic-victim behaviour to defend culturally similar perpetrators.Australian Research Counci

When Sex Doesn't Sell: Using Sexualized Images of Women Reduces Support for Ethical Campaigns

This is the final version. Available on open access from Public Library of Science via the DOI in this recordImages of scantily clad women are used by advertisers to make products more attractive to men. This “sex sells” approach is increasingly employed to promote ethical causes, most prominently by the animal-rights organization PETA. Yet sexualized images can dehumanize women, leaving an unresolved paradox – is it effective to advertise an ethical cause using unethical means? In Study 1, a sample of Australian male undergraduates (N = 82) viewed PETA advertisements containing either sexualized or non-sexualized images of women. Intentions to support the ethical organization were reduced for those exposed to the sexualized advertising, and this was explained by their dehumanization of the sexualized women, and not by increased arousal. Study 2 used a mixed-gender community sample from the United States (N = 280), replicating this finding and extending it by showing that behaviors helpful to the ethical cause diminished after viewing the sexualized advertisements, which was again mediated by the dehumanization of the women depicted. Alternative explanations relating to the reduced credibility of the sexualized women and their objectification were not supported. When promoting ethical causes, organizations may benefit from using advertising strategies that do not dehumanize women.Australian Research Counci

If you're going to be a leader, at least act like it! Prejudice towards women who are tentative in leader roles

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Wiley via the DOI in this record.Role congruity theory predicts prejudice towards women who meet the agentic requirements of the leader role. In line with recent findings indicating greater acceptance of agentic behaviour from women, we find evidence for a more subtle form of prejudice towards women who fail to display agency in leader roles. Using a classic methodology, the agency of male and female leaders was manipulated using assertive or tentative speech, presented through written (Study 1, N = 167) or verbal (Study 2, N = 66) communications. Consistent with predictions, assertive women were as likeable and influential as assertive men, while being tentative in leadership reduced the likeability and influence of women, but not of men. Although approval of agentic behaviour from women in leadership reflects progress, evidence that women are quickly singled out for disapproval if they fail to show agency is important for understanding how they continue to be at a distinct disadvantage to men in leader roles

The space density of Compton-thick AGN at z~0.8 in the zCOSMOS-Bright Survey

The obscured accretion phase in BH growth is a key ingredient in many models linking the AGN activity with the evolution of their host galaxy. At present, a complete census of obscured AGN is still missing. The purpose of this work is to assess the reliability of the [NeV] emission line at 3426 A to pick up obscured AGN up to z~1 by assuming that [NeV] is a reliable proxy of the intrinsic AGN luminosity and using moderately deep X-ray data to characterize the amount of obscuration. A sample of 69 narrow-line (Type 2) AGN at z=0.65-1.20 were selected from the 20k-zCOSMOS Bright galaxy sample on the basis of the presence of the [NeV] emission. The X-ray properties of these galaxies were then derived using the Chandra-COSMOS coverage of the field; the X-ray-to-[NeV] flux ratio, coupled with X-ray spectral and stacking analyses, was then used to infer whether Compton-thin or Compton-thick absorption were present in these sources. Then the [NeV] luminosity function was computed to estimate the space density of Compton-thick (CT) AGN at z~0.8. Twenty-three sources were detected by Chandra, and their properties are consistent with moderate obscuration (on average, ~a few 10^{22} cm^-2). The X-ray properties of the remaining 46 X-ray undetected Type 2 AGN were derived using X-ray stacking analysis. Current data indicate that a fraction as high as ~40% of the present sample is likely to be CT. The space density of CT AGN with logL_2-10keV>43.5 at z=0.83 is (9.1+/-2.1) 10^{-6} Mpc^{-3}, in good agreement with both XRB model expectations and the previously measured space density for objects in a similar redshift and luminosity range. We regard our selection technique for CT AGN as clean but not complete, since even a mild extinction in the NLR can suppress [NeV] emission. Therefore, our estimate of their space density should be considered as a lower limit.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables, A&A, in pres

Mobilizing Cause Supporters through Group-Based Interaction

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Wiley via the DOI in this record.Collective action expresses group-based identities, formed by supporters seeking to further particular social causes. While the development of groups linked to action necessitates interaction among supporters, little research has examined how these groups form. Utilizing responses of supporters who participated in 1 of 29 action-planning sessions, this research presents an initial attempt to identify the ingredients important to this process. It shows that to the extent that the actions agreed on in the course of group interactions were seen as capable of making a difference (action efficacy), and worthy of public expression (action voice), supporters’ group-based identification was enhanced. This in turn increased their willingness to engage in collective action. Practical implications and avenues for future research to understand the mobilization process are discussed.Australian Research Counci

The multi-phase winds of Markarian 231: from the hot, nuclear, ultra-fast wind to the galaxy-scale, molecular outflow

We present the best sensitivity and angular resolution maps of the molecular disk and outflow of Mrk 231, as traced by CO observations obtained with IRAM/PdBI, and we analyze archival Chandra and NuSTAR observations. We constrain the physical properties of both the molecular disk and outflow, the presence of a highly-ionized ultra-fast nuclear wind, and their connection. The molecular outflow has a size of ~1 kpc, and extends in all directions around the nucleus, being more prominent along the south-west to north-east direction, suggesting a wide-angle biconical geometry. The maximum projected velocity of the outflow is nearly constant out to ~1 kpc, thus implying that the density of the outflowing material decreases from the nucleus outwards as $r^{-2}$. This suggests that either a large part of the gas leaves the flow during its expansion or that the bulk of the outflow has not yet reached out to ~1 kpc, thus implying a limit on its age of ~1 Myr. We find $\dot M_{OF}=[ 500-1000]~ M_{\odot}~yr^{-1}$ and $\dot E_{kin,OF}=[7-10]\times 10^{43}$ erg s$^{-1}$. Remarkably, our analysis of the X-ray data reveals a nuclear ultra-fast outflow (UFO) with velocity -20000 km s$^{-1}$, $\dot M_{UFO}=[0.3- 2.1] ~M_\odot yr^{-1}$, and momentum load $\dot P_{UFO}/\dot P_{rad}=[0.2-1.6]$.We find $\dot E_{kin,UFO}\sim \dot E_{kin,OF}$ as predicted for outflows undergoing an energy conserving expansion. This suggests that most of the UFO kinetic energy is transferred to mechanical energy of the kpc-scale outflow, strongly supporting that the energy released during accretion of matter onto super-massive black holes is the ultimate driver of giant massive outflows. We estimate a momentum boost $\dot P_{OF}/\dot P_{UFO}\approx [30-60]$. The ratios $\dot E_{kin, UFO}/L_{bol,AGN} =[ 1-5]\%$ and $\dot E_{kin,OF}/L_{bol,AGN} = [1-3]\%$ agree with the requirements of the most popular models of AGN feedback.Comment: 16 pages, 17 figures. Accepted for publication in A&

The WISSH quasars Project: II. Giant star nurseries in hyper-luminous quasars

Studying the coupling between the energy output produced by the central quasar and the host galaxy is fundamental to fully understand galaxy evolution. Quasar feedback is indeed supposed to dramatically affect the galaxy properties by depositing large amounts of energy and momentum into the ISM. In order to gain further insights on this process, we study the SEDs of sources at the brightest end of the quasar luminosity function, for which the feedback mechanism is supposed to be at its maximum. We model the rest-frame UV-to-FIR SEDs of 16 WISE-SDSS Selected Hyper-luminous (WISSH) quasars at 1.8 < z < 4.6 disentangling the different emission components and deriving physical parameters of both the nuclear component and the host galaxy. We also use a radiative transfer code to account for the contribution of the quasar-related emission to the FIR fluxes. Most SEDs are well described by a standard combination of accretion disk+torus and cold dust emission. However, about 30% of them require an additional emission component in the NIR, with temperatures peaking at 750K, which indicates the presence of a hotter dust component in these powerful quasars. We measure extreme values of both AGN bolometric luminosity (LBOL > 10^47 erg/s) and SFR (up to 2000 Msun/yr). A new relation between quasar and star-formation luminosity is derived (LSF propto LQSO^(0.73)) by combining several Herschel-detected quasar samples from z=0 to 4. Future observations will be crucial to measure the molecular gas content in these systems, probe the impact between quasar-driven outflows and on-going star-formation, and reveal the presence of merger signatures in their host galaxies.Comment: 19 pages, 12 figures; Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics on June 13, 201

Per Bocca d'altri. Indios, gesuiti e spagnoli in due documenti segreti sul Perů del XVII secolo

Il volume contiene una serie di testi concernenti lo studio dei Documenti Miccinelli, una serie di manoscritti relativi alla storia del Perù coloniale e alla figura del gesuita Blas Valera

Mass assembly and AGN activity at z≳1.5z\gtrsim1.5 in the dense environment of XDCPJ0044.0-2033

XDCP0044.0-2033 is the most massive galaxy cluster known at z>1.5 and its core shows a high density of galaxies which are experiencing mergers and hosting nuclear activity. We present a multi-wavelength study of a region located 157 kpc from the center of this galaxy cluster, for which we have photometric and spectroscopic multi-wavelength observations (high resolution HST images in F105W, F140W and F160W bands, NIR KMOS data in H and YJ bands and Chandra ACIS-S X-ray data). Our main goal is to investigate the environmental effects acting on the galaxies inhabiting this high density region. We find that the analyzed region hosts at least nine different sources, six of them confirmed to be cluster members within a narrow redshift range 1.5728<z<1.5762. These sources form two different complexes at a projected distance of $\sim$13 kpc, which are undergoing merging on an estimated timescale off 10-30 Myr. One of the sources shows the presence of a broad H alpha emission line and is classified as Type 1 AGN. This AGN is associated to an X-ray point-like source, whose emission appears moderately obscured (with intrinsic absorption $N_{H} \sim 10^{22} cm^{-2}$) and hosts a relatively massive black hole with mass $M_{BH} \sim 10^{7} M_{\odot}$, which is accreting with an Eddington ratio of $\sim$0.2. We conclude that the analyzed region is consistent with being the formation site of a secondary BCG. These findings, together with an in-depth analysis the X-ray morphology of the cluster, suggest a merging scenario of the entire cluster, with two massive halos both harbouring two rapidly evolving BCGs on the verge of being assembled. Our results are also consistent with the scenario in which the AGN phase in member galaxies is triggered by gas-rich mergers, playing a relevant role in the formation of the red sequence of elliptical galaxies observed in the center of local galaxy clusters