Public views of sentencing: The role of offender characteristics.

Conducted 2 experiments that manipulated the type of crime, criminal record of the offender, and 3 offender characteristics (age, employment status, and marital status) and observed the effect of each on sentences recommended by 64 adult volunteer Ss. In the 2nd experiment, 48 adult volunteer Ss were also explicitly asked whether these factors should be considered when sentencing offenders. None of the manipulated offender characteristics affected Ss' sentences. It is concluded that the public favors a sentencing model that excludes offender characteristics, even though Canadian case law has upheld their influence over the sentencing process. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Impact of newspaper crime reports on fear of crime: Multimethodological investigation.

Investigated the impact of components of newspaper crime reports on fear of crime in an examination in which key newspaper components were based on theorizing in the areas of downward comparison, attribution, and normative behavior. In Study 1, 36 newspapers were classified according to the proportion of crime reports that involved local crimes, sensational crimes, and random crimes; the levels of fear of crime among 335 readers of these newspapers were assessed through telephone interviews. Results indicate that Ss who read newspapers that printed a high proportion of local crime news reported higher levels of fear if the crimes were predominantly sensational or appeared to be random, whereas Ss whose newspapers printed a low proportion of local crime news reported lower levels of fear if the crimes were predominantly sensational or random. These findings were replicated in Study 2: college students (N?=?80) who read reports of local crimes expressed higher levels of fear if the crimes were random rather than precipitated, whereas the opposite pattern emerged in regard to nonlocal crimes. Implications for psychologists and journalists are discussed. (35 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

General and specific measures of public attitudes toward sentencing.

Measured public desires about the sentencing of criminal offenders in 2 ways with 156 Ss of voting age. The 1st method used general attitudinal questions and appeared to show a punitive public, with the great majority of Ss judging that the system is too lenient. However, the 2nd method asked the same Ss to assign sentences in cases described in a set of brief scenarios, and the resultant sentences were comparable to actual court dispositions, especially for violent offenses. The assigned sentences were less severe for offenders who were young and had no previous criminal history, although with very serious crimes the differences decreased. Correlations between global and specific judgments were small. Canadian public attitudes are not as punitive as they have been depicted, and the global judgments of dissatisfaction show the need for better information about the functioning of the criminal justice system. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Victimization policy research.

The criminal justice system, until very recently, made few provisions for the victims of crime. More jurisdictions are now, however, adding legislation or programs that involve the victim in the criminal proceeding, allow the victim to influence prosecution and judgment, protect the victim from further victimization from either the offender or the process itself, and ensure that the victim receives either state compensation or reparation from the offender. We examine the criminal justice system's assumptions concerning the involvement or noninvolvement of the victims of crime in the process, identify the relevant research already available, and suggest further research to aid in the evaluation of laws and policies and the assumptions behind them. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Purposes of punishment: Effects of utilities of criminal sanctions on perceived appropriateness.

Examined 5 commonly discussed purposes of punishment (incapacitation, retribution, rehabilitation, general deterrence, and special deterrence) in 2 experiments. The experiments were designed to study how the perceived usefulness of penalties in serving these purposes changes with seriousness and type of crime, and how these perceived utilities affect judgments about the appropriateness of penalties for various crimes. In Exp I, 72 undergraduates completed a Just World Scale and then rated the usefulness of 30 possible penalties (including fines, probation terms, and imprisonment terms) in serving these purposes for 4 crimes. In Exp II, 6 judges rated the penalties for all 4 crimes. Importance weights derived from the data indicate retribution to be the most influential for all crimes among the judges and for all crimes except murder among the students. Results concerning deterrence indicate that Ss believe that more serious crimes are more difficult to deter than minor offenses. Results suggest that it is important to distinguish between what decision makers say the most important considerations ought to be and how their decisions actually appear to depend on these factors. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Older and younger adults' attributions of responsibility toward rape victims and rapists.

Examined the judgments made by 384 undergraduates and 384 50–74 yr olds of assailant and victim responsibility for a sexual assault. Ss were assigned to 1 of 3 conditions: they viewed slides of an assault, read a passage about the crime, or read the passage and saw photographs of both the assailant and the victim. The rapist was presented as either a well-dressed or poorly dressed young man, and the victim appeared either as a provocative or demure young woman. Ss also learned that the victim either physically resisted or failed to resist the assailant. Young Ss attributed more responsibility to the assailant than did older Ss, and the provocative woman was perceived as more responsible for the victimization than the demure woman. Young Ss attributed greater responsibility to the victim when she resisted the assault of a well-dressed assailant than when she resisted a poorly dressed assailant. Females attributed less responsibility to the demure woman when she was assaulted by a poorly dressed assailant than a well dressed assailant. In contrast to older Ss, young Ss who visually observed the crime held the victim more responsible for her victimization. Results are interpreted in terms of the defensive attribution hypothesis of E. Walster (see record 1966-02829-001) and the discounting principle of attribution presented by H. H. Kelley (see record 1973-24800-001). (French abstract) (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The GSR in the detection of guilt.

How accurate is a lie detector in determining guilt? "Forty-nine male college students, after random assortment into four groups, were required to enact one, both, or neither of two mock crimes. All were then given a guilty knowledge test, employing the GSR, which used six standard questions relating to each of the two crimes. A simple, objective, and a priori scoring system was used to determine guilt. Forty-four or 89.8% of the Ss were assigned to their correct group, against a chance expectancy of 25%. Considering the crimes separately, all Ss innocent of a crime were correctly classified, while 44 or 50 interrogations of guilty Ss gave guilty classifications, a total of 93.9% correct classification against a chance expectancy of 50%… . Detection of guilty knowledge… is demonstrably capable of very high validity in those situations where it can be used." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Does psychiatric disorder predict violent crime among released jail detainees? A six-year longitudinal study.

Examined whether jail detainees with schizophrenia, major affective disorders, alcohol or drug use disorders, or psychotic symptoms (hallucinations and delusions) are arrested more often for violent crimes 6 yrs after release than are detainees with no disorders. Trained interviewers assessed 728 randomly selected male jail detainees using the National Institute of Mental Health Diagnostic Interview Schedule and then obtained follow-up arrest data for 6 yrs. Neither severe mental disorder nor substance abuse or dependence predicted the probability of arrest or the number of arrests for violent crime. Ss with symptoms of both hallucinations and delusions had a slightly higher number of arrests for violent crime, but not significantly so. These findings held even after controlling for prior violence and age. The findings do not support the stereotype that mentally ill criminals invariably commit violent crimes after they are released. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The violent 4-3 MMPI personality type.

Attempted to replicate and extend the study of K. R. Davis and J. O. Sines (see PA, Vol. 46:Issue 2) which found the MMPI high point pattern of 4-3 to be associated with commission of violent acts. 48 4-3 male inmates were compared with the 3 most frequently occurring other MMPI code types in a prison and with the institutional base rate for commission of violent criminal offenses. 4-3 Ss committed significantly more violent acts than any of the other personality groups and significantly more violence than the base rates of inmates in general. The other 3 personality groups did not differ from the base rate. Of the 4-3 Ss, 85% had a history of violence. Personality variables, e.g., guilt and anxiety, and race of the offender, are discussed. (24 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Intrafamilial homicide committed by juveniles: examination of a sample with recommendations for prevention

The current study examines a sample of 112 adolescents convicted of murder. From this sample, 11 adolescents who murdered a member of their family were chosen for in-depth examination. All participants were convicted as an adult for murder and received a prison sentence. Characteristics of the crimes were explored, including demographic information, relationship to victim, motive, and weapon used in the commission of the crime. Additionally, DSM diagnosis information was available for some participants. A majority of the homicides (N = 8) were committed with a gun that was available in the home. More than half of the subjects murdered a parent or parental figure and the most salient characteristic was the presence of a chaotic family life prior to the homicide. No single motive was dominant, indicating that intrafamilial homicide is the culmination of a number of factors, including abuse and psychopathology. Based on the findings, recommendations are provided to address the needs of youth who are at risk for committing violent crimes such as intrafamilial homicide.     

Psychological Perspectives on Hate Crime Laws.

Hate crimes are those in which the victim is selected because of his or her actual or perceived race, color, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or national origin. Hate crime laws have frequently been met with objections. Whereas some objections are based in constitutional law, other objections invoke a variety of psychological constructs, including attitude, motivation, behavior, emotion, and intergroup relations. These objections can be illuminated by relevant psychological theory and research. Topics addressed include the measurement of motivation and intent, and distinctions among attitudes, emotions, and behavior. Hate crimes and other crimes are compared in terms of perpetrators, type and degree of violence, psychological and physical trauma suffered by victims, and community impact. Psychologically based defense strategies used by perpetrators of hate crimes are critiqued. Hate crime laws are also discussed in terms of the political and social values they reflect. Finally, research and policy implications are outlined, including implications for prevention and intervention at the individual, community, and law enforcement levels. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparing psychological images of the social perceiver: Role of perceived informativeness, memorability, and affect in mediating the impact of crime victimization.

Recent research in social cognition has been concerned with the inferences people draw from their experiences. The research reported here is concerned with one inference—the judged risk of crime victimization—and with heightened levels of crime prevention behavior that result from such an inference. Two surveys of 315 Ss who had at least 1 experience with crime and an experiment with 360 undergraduates were conducted to test the role of 3 psychological characteristics of victimization in mediating the impact of being a victim of crime. In the experiment, Ss read a pamphlet describing a person's experience with crime; Ss' perceived informativeness, availability in memory of the information, affect, fear of crime, and crime prevention behavior were later assessed. Results suggest that the perceived informativeness, availability in memory, and affect aroused by a crime victimization were distinct aspects of the event. Though distinct, however, perceived informativeness and affect were not statistically independent. Those events judged to be more informative were also more upsetting. Availability in memory, on the other hand, was independent of both perceived informativeness and affect. When the mediation of impact was considered, the results suggest independent influences of both perceived informativeness and affect on both fear of crime and crime prevention behavior. Availability apparently does not have an important role in mediating impact on either inferences or behaviors. (130 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Victimization as a determinant of eyewitness accuracy.

Eyewitness identification research frequently uses a simulated crime paradigm, yet the witnesses in these studies are seldom themselves the victims of the crime. To the degree a witness is more personally involved (as a victim), eyewitness identification accuracy and confidence might be modified. 66 undergraduates were randomly assigned to 3 eyewitness conditions: no-theft control, impersonal calculator theft, or personalized watch theft. Whereas the victims in the watch-theft condition were more accurate than Ss in the other 2 treatments, they were not significantly more accurate than witnesses to the less personal calculator theft. Eyewitnesses' accuracy was unrelated to their confidence in their identification. (12 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The 3-4/4-3 MMPI code type in an offender population: An update on levels of hostility and violence.

Levels of hostility and type of crime committed were compared in 94 male offenders with either 3-4 or 4-3 MMPI high point pairs and in 94 randomly selected offenders (mean age for all Ss 31 yrs) without these codes who were matched for race with the 3-4/4-3 group. The samples were drawn from all male offenders entering a state prison system over 5 yrs. Self-report measures included the MMPI, Buss Durkee Hostility Inventory, and Monroe Dyscontrol Scale. Multivariate and univariate analyses showed that those with 3-4 codes did not differ from those with 4-3 codes. Except for higher scores on Megargee's Overcontrolled-Hostility scale, the combined 3-4/4-3 offenders either did not differ from or scored lower than the comparison group on type of crime and all self-report measures of hostility, anger, episodic dyscontrol, and violence. Neither these results nor the majority of research on 3-4/4-3 profiles supports these codes as evidence of a proclivity for violence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Task demand and cardiovascular response magnitude: Further evidence of the mediating role of success importance.

The interactive effects of success importance and task demand on cardiovascular reactivity were investigated in 2 experiments. In Exp 1, Ss learned that success on an easy or difficult memory task would allow them to avoid a mild or severe noise. As expected, pretask and task elevations in heart rate and systolic blood pressure increased with difficulty only when the noise was to be severe. In Exp 2, Ss listened to a victim, attending either to how she must feel or to technical features of the presentation. Then they were given the chance to earn a donation by succeeding on an easy or difficult memory task. Pretask cardiovascular data accorded with predictions predicated on the assumption that the need to help would be greater among victim perspective Ss. For them, systolic elevations increased with difficulty, whereas for technical perspective Ss systolic elevations were low regardless of task demand. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The 4-3 MMPI profile type: A failure to replicate.

Using a sample of male prison inmates as Ss, the incidence of violent crimes for 65 persons with the 4-3 MMPI profile type and 64 with other 2-point code types was compared. Results fail to replicate the findings of some earlier investigators, who reported that violent behaviors are more common for persons with the 4-3 profile type. The failure to identify a significant relationship between the 4-3 profile type and violent behavior suggests that caution should be exercised in generalizing to populations that differ from those in which the relationship between violence and the 4-3 profile type is established. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Recognition processes in episodic memory.

In 5 series of experiments with 5th, 6th, and 10th graders and undergraduate and university students, Ss encouraged to process related sentences at the same time (integrated storage) were compared with those encouraged to process the related sentences independently of each other (independent storage). Overall results show that Ss in the integrated storage condition were better at deriving inferences based on interconnections among the related items, at identifying the sentences that had been presented, and at recalling the sentences to a word cue. There was no difference between conditions on word recognition tests. Thus, Ss in the independent condition had a more difficult time retrieving the sentences that had been presented, but not in identifying the words contained in these sentences. This finding is explained by postulating a 2-stage recognition process. It was also found that Ss were able to combine 2 related sentences presented independently of each other, if the intervening sentences did not contain concepts in common with these sentences. However, when there were several sentences containing overlapping information, each presented independently of the others, Ss were unable to combine them into a single idea. This result indicates that the presence of several episodic traces containing common concepts interferes with the retrieval of information from these traces. (French summary) (33 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Blame, shame, and community: Justice responses to violence against women.

Justice processing for crimes against women is reviewed. The data reveal conviction rates for partner violence and rape by known acquaintances are miniscule; mandatory arrest, protection orders, and diversion programs inadequately deter rebattering; few losses are compensated; and the adversarial justice process is retraumatizing, exacerbating survivor self-blame. To better address crimes against women, several nations and tribal communities use communitarian approaches, forms of restorative justice. The offense is framed to include the perpetrator, victim, and community. The process forgoes incarceration to have family, peers, and advocates design perpetrator rehabilitation, victim restoration, and social reintegration of both victim and perpetrator. Evaluations suggest communitarian justice may increase victim satisfaction, raise the social costs of offending, multiply social control and support resources, and open a new avenue to targeted prevention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Crime and psychopathology.

"This study investigated the relations between type of crime, age, intelligence, and degree of psychopathology, as measured by the MMPI F score. MMPIs were available from 190 white male court referrals who were nearly all classified as low socioeconomic status. It should be noted that one crime class (i.e., lewd acts on children) would have been excluded from the analysis if the usual criteria for discarding MMPIs had been used. A definite relationship between type of crime and degree of psychopathology was found. Individuals who commit sexual crimes appear to be the most seriously emotionally disturbed. No difference in mean F score between Ss released to the courts vs. those retained in the hospital was found." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)