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Supplementary materials for: Punishment Reactions to Powerful Suspects: Comparing a “Corrupt” versus a “Leniency” Approach of Power

Author(s) / Creator(s)

Fousiani, Kyriaki
Van Prooijen, Jan Willem

Other kind(s) of contributor

University of Groningen
Free University of Amsterdam

Abstract / Description

Although the justice system punishes transgressions predominantly when an articulated rationale is provided, there are situations where people judge actors whose guilt is uncertain. In this research, we investigate how observers assign punishments to suspects depending on the suspects’ power (i.e., one’s capacity to control valuable resources and produce intended outcomes). Power, on the one hand, indicates one’s potential to inflict harm and thus increases observer’s perception of a powerful suspect as guilty (the “power corrupts” approach). On the other hand, people see powerholders in more positive terms (cf., Basking in reflected glory) and disregard negative information about them (the “power leniency” approach). If the “power corrupts” approach holds, observers should perceive powerful, as opposed to powerless suspects or suspects whose power is undefined, as more guilty. Moreover they should display punishment motives that are based on utilitarianism with the aim of incapacitating the highly threatening powerful harm-doers and prevent them from future harm. If the “power leniency” approach is true, observers should perceive powerless suspects and suspects whose power is undefined (as opposed to powerful suspects) as more guilty and should display stronger punishment motives (utilitarian, retributive, or restorative) towards those suspects. Further, in line with both approaches, we predict that observers should follow the intuitive retributivism hypothesis and assign more retributive punishments towards suspects with low or undefined power, as compared with high power suspects, with the aim to make them pay for what they did. Besides, we investigate the mediating role of recidivism and guilt likelihood in the relationship between a suspect’s power and an observer’s punishment motives. Finally, we expect that retribution will be generally assigned to a higher extent than utilitarian or restorative motives for sanctioning. Research question: Do people assign suspects retributive, utilitarian or restorative punishments depending on the suspects' power? Study methods: We will conduct a simple experimental design where we will manipulate the power possession of suspects accused of money embezzlement. Guilt likelihood and recidivism of the suspect, and motives for punishment (retributive, utilitarian, restorative) of the observer will be assessed.
Supplementary materials for: Fousiani, K., & van Prooijen, J.-W. (2022). Punishment reactions to powerful suspects: Comparing a “corrupt” versus a “leniency” approach of power. Zeitschrift für Psychologie, 230(2), 164–173. https://doi.org/10.1027/2151-2604/a000462

Persistent Identifier

Date of first publication

2021-07-01

Publisher

PsychArchives

Is referenced by

Citation

Fousiani, K., & Van Prooijen, J. W. (2021). Supplementary materials for: Punishment Reactions to Powerful Suspects: Comparing a “Corrupt” versus a “Leniency” Approach of Power. PsychArchives. https://doi.org/10.23668/PSYCHARCHIVES.4954
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Fousiani, Kyriaki
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Van Prooijen, Jan Willem
  • Other kind(s) of contributor
    University of Groningen
  • Other kind(s) of contributor
    Free University of Amsterdam
  • PsychArchives acquisition timestamp
    2021-07-02T14:04:27Z
  • Made available on
    2021-07-02T14:04:27Z
  • Date of first publication
    2021-07-01
  • Abstract / Description
    Although the justice system punishes transgressions predominantly when an articulated rationale is provided, there are situations where people judge actors whose guilt is uncertain. In this research, we investigate how observers assign punishments to suspects depending on the suspects’ power (i.e., one’s capacity to control valuable resources and produce intended outcomes). Power, on the one hand, indicates one’s potential to inflict harm and thus increases observer’s perception of a powerful suspect as guilty (the “power corrupts” approach). On the other hand, people see powerholders in more positive terms (cf., Basking in reflected glory) and disregard negative information about them (the “power leniency” approach). If the “power corrupts” approach holds, observers should perceive powerful, as opposed to powerless suspects or suspects whose power is undefined, as more guilty. Moreover they should display punishment motives that are based on utilitarianism with the aim of incapacitating the highly threatening powerful harm-doers and prevent them from future harm. If the “power leniency” approach is true, observers should perceive powerless suspects and suspects whose power is undefined (as opposed to powerful suspects) as more guilty and should display stronger punishment motives (utilitarian, retributive, or restorative) towards those suspects. Further, in line with both approaches, we predict that observers should follow the intuitive retributivism hypothesis and assign more retributive punishments towards suspects with low or undefined power, as compared with high power suspects, with the aim to make them pay for what they did. Besides, we investigate the mediating role of recidivism and guilt likelihood in the relationship between a suspect’s power and an observer’s punishment motives. Finally, we expect that retribution will be generally assigned to a higher extent than utilitarian or restorative motives for sanctioning. Research question: Do people assign suspects retributive, utilitarian or restorative punishments depending on the suspects' power? Study methods: We will conduct a simple experimental design where we will manipulate the power possession of suspects accused of money embezzlement. Guilt likelihood and recidivism of the suspect, and motives for punishment (retributive, utilitarian, restorative) of the observer will be assessed.
    en
  • Abstract / Description
    Supplementary materials for: Fousiani, K., & van Prooijen, J.-W. (2022). Punishment reactions to powerful suspects: Comparing a “corrupt” versus a “leniency” approach of power. Zeitschrift für Psychologie, 230(2), 164–173. https://doi.org/10.1027/2151-2604/a000462
    en
  • Citation
    Fousiani, K., & Van Prooijen, J. W. (2021). Supplementary materials for: Punishment Reactions to Powerful Suspects: Comparing a “Corrupt” versus a “Leniency” Approach of Power. PsychArchives. https://doi.org/10.23668/PSYCHARCHIVES.4954
    en
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/4382
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.4954
  • Language of content
    eng
  • Publisher
    PsychArchives
    en
  • Is referenced by
    https://doi.org/10.1027/2151-2604/a000462
  • Is related to
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.3159
  • Is related to
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.3470
  • Is related to
    https://doi.org/10.1027/2151-2604/a000462
  • Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)
    150
  • Title
    Supplementary materials for: Punishment Reactions to Powerful Suspects: Comparing a “Corrupt” versus a “Leniency” Approach of Power
    en
  • DRO type
    other
    en