The Effect of True Self-Attributions on the Endorsement of Retributive and Restorative Justice. (August 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Maffly-Kipp, Joseph; Rivera, Grace N.; Schlegel, Rebecca J.; Vess, Matthew
• Is Part Of: Personality & social psychology bulletin. Volume 48:Number 8(2022)
• Page Start: 1284
• Page End: 1297
• Publication Date: 2022-08
• Subjects: retributive justice -- restorative justice -- criminal justice -- true self -- attribution; Personality -- Periodicals; Social psychology -- Periodicals; 302
• DOI: 10.1177/01461672211027473
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0146-1672

Abstract

We examined how the attribution of criminal behavior to an individual's "true" self influences justice preferences. In Study 1 ( N = 521), the extent to which undergraduates attributed a crime to a target's true self positively predicted their endorsement of a retributive form of punishment and negatively predicted their endorsement of a restorative form of punishment. Study 2 ( N = 404) was preregistered and replicated these associations, even when controlling for other perceived causes (e.g., personality, environment). In Study 3 ( N = 282), undergraduates rated retributive punishment more favorably and restorative punishment less favorably when induced to think that the crime was (vs. was not) reflective of the target's true self. Study 4 ( N = 935) was preregistered and replicated these experimental effects across different types of crime vignettes in an online sample. These results highlight the ways that intuitions about "true" selves shape punishment preferences.