PERCEIVED CIRCUMSTANCES, INFERENCES OF INTENT AND JUDGMENTS OF OFFENSE SERIOUSNESS

• NCJ Number: 26024
• Journal: Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology Volume: 66 Issue: 2 Dated: (JUNE 1975) Pages: 201-208
• Author(s): M RIEDEL
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 8 pages
• Corporate Author: Williams and Wilkins Co
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

EXPLORATION OF WHAT EFFECT DIFFERING PERCEPTIONS OF CIRCUMSTANCES OF A CRIME HAVE ON JUDGEMENTS OF THE SERIOUSNESS OF THAT CRIME.

Abstract

TWO CLASSES OF VARIABLES - ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS AND PERSONAL DISPOSITIONS - WERE USED TO DETERMINE HOW SERIOUSNESS SCORES WOULD BE MODIFIED IF RESPONDENTS WERE MADE AWARE OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE SAMPLE OFFENSES. THE RESEARCHERS HYPOTHESIZED THAT THE PERCEIVER'S WILLINGNESS TO ATTRIBUTE INTENT TO THE OFFENDERS WOULD CHANGE ACROSS DIFFERENT EXPERIMENTAL CONDITIONS AND THAT THIS, IN TURN, WOULD AFFECT THE GEOMETRIC MEANS OF THE SIX OFFENSES USED. THE RESULTS INDICATED THAT WHILE RESPONDENTS HAD LITTLE DIFFICULTY INFERRING INTENT FROM THE PERCEIVED CIRCUMSTANCES, THERE WAS LITTLE SUPPORT FOR THE JONES AND DAVIS THEORY THAT DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES WOULD LEAD TO A DIFFERENTIAL WILLINGNESS TO ATTRIBUTE INTENT. THE AUTHOR FINDS THAT PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT CONCLUSION OF THIS STUDY IS THAT PERCEIVERS ASSESS THE SERIOUSNESS OF CRIMINAL EVENTS IN WAYS THAT MAKE UNIMPORTANT THE INFERENCES OF WHETHER THE OFFENDER INTENDED THE ACT. THIS SUGGESTS THAT EXTERNAL ASPECTS OF THE EVENT, SUCH AS THE AMOUNT OF INJURY, THEFT, OR DAMAGE IS ALL THE RESPONDENT NEEDS TO MAKE A RELIABLE ASSESSMENT OF SOCIAL INJURY. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)