NCJ Number
245519
Journal
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 28 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2013 Pages: 80-91
Date Published
January 2013
Length
12 pages
Annotation
Undergraduate volunteers (n = 134) were randomly assigned in a 2 2 design that manipulated type of crime (rape vs. robbery) and perpetrator motivation (anger vs. desire).
Abstract
After reading one of the crime scenarios, participants responded to a series of attitude items regarding responsibility for the crime, assigned blame to agents mentioned in the scenario, and assigned a prison sentence to the perpetrator. A two-way ANOVA showed a significant interaction of motivation and crime (p = .026), with the victim rated least responsible in the anger-motivated rape scenario. Likewise, the assignment of blame produced a significant interaction of motivation and crime (p = .034); the victim was blamed the least in the anger-motivated rape scenario. Although the perpetrator was viewed as more responsible for the crime of rape than robbery (p = .022) and received a significantly longer sentence for rape (p less than .001), perpetrator motivation did not affect perceptions of the perpetrator's responsibility for either crime. These results stand in contrast to those of Mitchell, Angelone, Kohlberger, and Hirschman (2009) and suggest their findings may have been the result of homophobic statements by the perpetrator rather than anger per se. Abstract published by arrangement with Sage Journals.