NCJ Number
37125
Journal
Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 3 Issue: 3 Dated: (SEPTEMBER 1976) Pages: 273-286
Date Published
1976
Length
14 pages
Annotation
DATA ON CITIZEN REACTIONS TO RIGGED SHOPLIFTING INCIDENTS IN WHICH THE 'OFFENDER' WAS EITHER STRAIGHT- OR HIPPIE-APPEARING WERE ANALYZED TO DETERMINE IF ATTITUDES TOWARD LAW AND ORDER ARE INFLUENCED BY OFFENDER TRAITS.
Abstract
A TOTAL OF 191 SUBJECTS PARTICIPATED IN THE RIGGED SHOPLIFTING FIELD EXPERIMENTS. THE 135 SUBJECTS WHO WERE THE OBJECT OF ANALYSIS WERE INTERVIEWED IN THEIR HOMES APPROXIMATELY TWO MONTHS AFTER PARTICIPATION IN THE FIELD EXPERIMENT. TWO MEASURES OF THE SUBJECTS' BEHAVIOR WERE OBTAINED: THE SEVERITY OF SANCTIONS RECOMMENDED FOR SHOPLIFTERS BY THE SUBJECTS AND THE SUBJECTS' WILLINGNESS TO REPORT SHOPLIFTING INCIDENTS. DATA ON THE SUBJECTS' ATTITUDES TO LAW AND ORDER WERE GATHERED AS WELL. ALTHOUGH AN INTERACTION BETWEEN SUBJECTS' ATTITUDES TOWARD LAW AND ORDER AND THEIR REACTION TO THE RIGGED SHOPLIFTING INCIDENTS WAS OBSERVED, ITS FORM VARIED FROM COMMON CONCEPTION. CITIZENS STRONGLY FAVORING LAW AND ORDER RESPONDED MORE PUNITIVELY TO SHOPLIFTING BUT WERE LESS AFFECTED BY THE SHOPLIFTER'S APPEARANCE (HIPPIE VERSUS STRAIGHT) IN THEIR RESPONSES. CITIZENS LESS CONCERNED ABOUT THE MAINTENANCE OF LAW AND ORDER WERE LESS PUNITIVE IN THEIR RESPONSES, BUT WERE INFLUENCED MORE BY THE SHOPLIFTER'S APPEARANCE. THUS, THE FINDINGS WERE THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT GENERALLY IS EXPECTED. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT ADVOCATES OF LAW AND ORDER ARE HARDLY THE VILLAINS OF JUSTICE AS COMMONLY ASSUMED. RATHER, THEY MAY BE AMONG JUSTICE'S BETTER GUARDIANS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)