NCJ Number
103839
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 14 Issue: 6 Dated: (1986) Pages: 501-508
Date Published
1986
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This study investigated the extent to which group influence (and particularly the modeling aspects of groups) specifies the relationship between the certainty of punishment and deviant behavior.
Abstract
An experiment was conducted in which 60 males played a game of 'chicken' against a computer. The study was designed to assess the influence of subjects' exposure to deviant behavior by 'models,' subjects' knowledge of the outcomes of deviance for the 'models,' and the interaction of these variables with the probability of punishment. Analysis showed that exposure to the behavioral outcomes of models' deviant conduct either enhanced or weakened the effects of certainty of punishment, depending upon whether the models were rewarded or punished for their deviant behavior. Implications of the findings for the development of a theory of deterrence are drawn, and suggestions for future research are made. (Author abstract)