Belief About Immutability of Moral Character and Punitiveness Toward Criminal Offenders

Publication Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

2013

Abstract

The present research examined the association between belief about immutability of moral character and punitiveness toward criminal offenders. Overall, participants who believed that moral character is immutable (entity theorists) were more punitive than those who believed that it is changeable (incremental theorists). More important, the present research identified two mediational paths: Entity theorists made more internal attribution of criminal behavior and held stronger expectation of offenders' recidivism, both of which in turn led to stronger punitiveness. Also, contrary to some researchers' speculation, entity theorists did not perceive less controllability in criminal behavior. Implications for implicit theory research and criminal justice research are discussed.

Keywords

moral character, punitiveness, criminal offenders, punishment

Discipline

Social Psychology

Research Areas

Psychology

Publication

Journal of Applied Social Psychology

Volume

43

Issue

3

First Page

603

Last Page

611

ISSN

0021-9029

Identifier

10.1111/j.1559-1816.2013.01041.x

Publisher

Wiley

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2013.01041.x

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