NCJ Number
68575
Date Published
1979
Length
340 pages
Annotation
THIS STUDY PARTIALLY EXPLAINS THE INCONSISTENCY AND EQUIVOCATION CHARACTERIZING DETERRENCE RESEARCH AND PRESENTS A RECONCEPTUALIZATION OF THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK WITHIN WHICH FUTURE RESEARCH CAN OPERATE.
Abstract
A STRATIFIED RANDOM SAMPLE OF 541 STUDENTS ATTENDING VALENCIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN ORLANDO, FLA. RESPONDED TO A SELF-REPORT SURVEY WHICH MEASURED THEIR PERCEPTIONS TO DETERRENCE-RELATED VARIABLES REVOLVING AROUND MARIHUANA USE AND VEHICULAR SPEEDING. THE STUDY FOUND THAT USE OF BECCARIAN LINEAR DETERRENT ASSUMPTIONS LED TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THERE WAS ONLY WEAK, EQUIVOCAL, AND UNSTABLE EVIDENCE REGARDING THE ROLE OF DETERRENCE PLAYED A TRIVIAL ROLE WITH RESPECT TO VEHICULAR SPEEDING. HOWEVER, THE USE OF BENTHAMITE DETERRENT RESIDUAL ASSUMPTIONS CONCLUDED THAT THERE WAS MODERATE TO VERY STRONG EVIDENCE THAT DETERRENCE PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE DECISION TO SPEED OR USE MARIHUANA. BECCARIAN ASSUMPTIONS DO NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE FACT THAT PUNISHMENT AND THE ILLEGAL ACT ITSELF MAY BE PERCEIVED TO BE DIFFERENTLY PAINFUL OR PLEASURABLE. THE BENTHAMITE LOGIC ASSUMES THAT DETERRENCE OCCURS ONLY IF THE SUBJECT TO BE DERIVED. THE BEST PREDICTOR OF DETERRENCE POTENTIAL IS A MEASURE OF THE RESIDUAL PAIN-PLEASURE ASSOCIATED BOTH WITH THE COMMISSION OF THE ILLEGAL ACT AND ITS PUNISHMENT. THE STUDY CONCLUDES THAT THE BENTHAMITE DETERRENT RESIDUAL CONSTRUCTS WERE THE BEST PREDICTORS OF WHETHER A SUBJECT WOULD BE DETERRED FROM MARIHUANA USE OR SPEEDING, AS COMPARED TO THE BECCARIAN LINEAR CONSTRUCTS. FOOTNOTES, TABLES, THE SURVEY INSTRUMENT, AND APPROXIMATELY 120 REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)