JONES AND ARONSON FOUND THAT A DIVORCEE RAPE VICTIM WAS ATTRIBUTED LESS RESPONSIBILITY IN THE CRIME THAN WERE MARRIED OR VIRGIN RAPE VICTIMS, A FINDING WHICH WAS EXPLAINED IN 'JUST WORLD' TERMS. THIS PAPER PROPOSES AN ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATION WITHIN A DEFENSIVE ATTRIBUTION FRAMEWORK - THAT IS, THAT PERSONS WILL ATTACH LESS RESPONSIBILITY TO VICTIMS WHO HAVE CHARACTERISTICS SIMILAR TO THEIR OWN. SUPPORT FOR THIS INTERPRETATION WAS FOUND IN TWO STUDIES IN WHICH FEMALE SUBJECTS ATTRIBUTED LESS RESPONSIBILITY TO A SIMILAR RAPE VICTIM THAN TO A DISSIMILAR ONE. IT WAS FURTHER FOUND THAT THE FEMALE SUBJECTS, WHO WERE ALL UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS ENROLLED IN PSYCHOLOGY COURSES, TENDED TO RATE THEMSELVES AS MORE SIMILAR TO A DIVORCEE THAN TO A MARRIED OR VIRGIN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT. THE AUTHORS CONTEND THAT THIS LENDS FURTHER SUPPORT TO THE DEFENSIVE ATTRIBUTION FORMULATION. IMPLICATIONS OF THIS LABORATORY SIMULATION WORK TO THE ACTUAL LEGAL PROCESS ARE DISCUSSED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED) ...DMC