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Automatic Judgment and Reasoning About Punishment

Oswald, Margit ; Stucki, Ingrid

In: Social Justice Research, 2010, vol. 23, no. 4, p. 290-307

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    Titre
    • Automatic Judgment and Reasoning About Punishment
    Auteur
    • Oswald, Margit. Department of Psychology, University of Berne, Unitobler-Muesmattstrasse 45, 3000, Berne 9, Switzerland
    • Stucki, Ingrid. Department of Psychology, University of Berne, Unitobler-Muesmattstrasse 45, 3000, Berne 9, Switzerland
    Type de document
    • Postprint
    Langue
    • Inglese
    Publié dans
    • Social Justice Research, 2010, vol. 23, no. 4, p. 290-307. Springer US; http://www.springer-ny.com
    Autre version électronique
    Identifiant OAI-PMH
    • oai:doc.rero.ch:309569
    Summary
    Several studies provide evidence that judgments on punishment are influenced by variables that are more or less independent of guilt considerations. It is postulated that these so called extralegal variables, such as the victim's reputation or outcome severity that occurs accidentally and without intention by the offender, in particular influence judgments that are made under restricted cognitive capacity (low processing depth). Two studies, using a vignette methodology, explore whether participants are able to correct the biasing influences of extralegal variables if they are motivated to elaborate their judgments under the most optimal conditions (high processing depth). Study 1 investigates the influence of victim's reputation, and Study 2 the combined influence of victim's reputation and accidentally occurring outcome severity under either low or high depth of information processing. Results show that the influence of extralegal variables can be corrected. However, corrections are either limited or excessive, and are sometimes even inappropriate