The higher they are, the harder they fall: The effects of wrongdoer status on observer punishment recommendations and intentionality attributions

In two studies, we explore whether the status of a wrongdoer affects observers’ attributions for the wrongdoer’s actions and opinions about the wrongdoer’s deserved punishment. We find that observers attribute greater intentionality to the actions of high status wrongdoers than the identical actions...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Organizational behavior and human decision processes 2009, Vol.108 (1), p.53-65
Main Authors: Fragale, Alison R., Rosen, Benson, Xu, Carol, Merideth, Iryna
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attributions
Biological and medical sciences
Crime
Fines & penalties
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Intention
Intentionality
Justice
Morality
Motivation
Observation
Offenders
Organizational behavior
Perception
Perceptions
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Punishment
Retribution
Retributive justice
Social attribution, perception and cognition
Social psychology
Social status
Social status Wrongdoers Wrongdoings Transgressions Attributions Intentionality Retribution Retributive justice Punishment
Studies
Transgressions
Wrongdoers
Wrongdoings
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Summary:In two studies, we explore whether the status of a wrongdoer affects observers’ attributions for the wrongdoer’s actions and opinions about the wrongdoer’s deserved punishment. We find that observers attribute greater intentionality to the actions of high status wrongdoers than the identical actions of low status wrongdoers, and consequently recommend more severe punishments for the former than the latter. Additionally, we find that the relationship between a wrongdoer’s status and observers’ attributions is driven by observers’ perceptions of the wrongdoer’s underlying social motives: high status wrongdoers are presumed to be more interested in their own welfare (self-concerned), and less interested in the welfare of others (other-concerned), than low status individuals. These findings have implications for the psychology of retributive justice, and suggest that punitive reactions may be influenced as much by characteristics of the criminal as they are by characteristics of the crime.
ISSN:0749-5978
1095-9920
DOI:10.1016/j.obhdp.2008.05.002