Punitive attitudes: Towards an operationalization to measure individual punitivity in a multidimensional way

Although several empirical studies on punitivity have appeared in the last few decades, this body of research stays under-theorized and rather vague because of the lack of a clear definition of the concept of punitivity and the different methodologies used to measure it. Focusing on individual punit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal of criminology 2015-01, Vol.12 (1), p.92-112
Main Authors: Adriaenssen, An, Aertsen, Ivo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attitudes
Concepts
Criminal sentences
Criminology
Definitions
Knowledge
Literature Reviews
Measurement techniques
Operational Definitions
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Summary:Although several empirical studies on punitivity have appeared in the last few decades, this body of research stays under-theorized and rather vague because of the lack of a clear definition of the concept of punitivity and the different methodologies used to measure it. Focusing on individual punitivity (punitive attitudes), this literature review article presents some important substantive and methodological achievements of and challenges to this body of research. Despite existing knowledge and the already extensive literature on the topic, this article aims to add an innovative element by (a) providing a clear, thorough and multidimensional operationalization of the concept of punitive attitudes that can be used in future research, by (b) not only reviewing the existing literature, but also being critical of and nuancing some of the main research findings, and by (c) making concrete suggestions to advance research in this area.
ISSN:1477-3708
1741-2609
DOI:10.1177/1477370814535376