NCJ Number
19286
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 2 Issue: 3 Dated: (FALL 1974) Pages: 249-259
Date Published
1974
Length
11 pages
Annotation
EXAMINATION OF THE 'EMOTIONAL' AS OPPOSED TO THE 'COGNITIVE' MOTIVATIONS UNDERLYING SOCIETAL PERCEPTIONS OF CRIME SERIOUSNESS.
Abstract
THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AUTHORITARIAN PERSONALITY AND PERCEPTION OF DEVIANCE, BASED UPON THE ASSUMPTION THAT IF A RELATIONSHIP WERE FOUND BETWEEN A PERSONALITY FACTOR AND THE EVALUATION OF DEVIANT BEHAVIOR, THIS WOULD CONSTITUTE THAT EVALUATION OF DEVIANT BEHAVIOR WAS AFFECTED BY INDIVIDUAL PERSONAL FACTORS BEYOND 'IMPARTIAL' ASSESSMENT OF THE FACTS ALONE. BY THE SAME LOGIC, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE RESPONDENT'S INTENSITY OF RELIGIOUS BELIEF AND PERCEPTION OF DEVIANCE WAS ALSO MEASURES. AN AUTHORITARIANISM SCALE AND A DEVIANCE CONTROL SCALE WERE ADMINISTERED TO TWO SEPARATE GROUPS OF SUBJECTS: A SAMPLE OF 116 POLICE SCIENCE STUDENTS FROM HUDSON VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE, AND A RANDOM REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF 91 STUDENTS FROM THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT ALBANY. THE ITEMS OF EACH SCALE AND THEIR CORRELATIONS WITH THE TOTAL SCALE FOR EACH ARE INCLUDED IN THIS ARTICLE IN TABULAR FORM. NO OVERALL RELATIONSHIP WAS FOUND BETWEEN RESPONDENT'S PERFERENCE TO CONTROL DEVIANCE AND THEIR AUTHORITARIANISM, NOR DID THE AUTHORITARIANISM SCALE DISCRIMINATE BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS. HOWEVER, THE POLICE SAMPLE FAVORED THE CONTROL OF DEVIANCE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE. EVIDENCE OF RESPONSE BIAS TO THE AUTHORITARIANISM SCALE WAS ALSO FOUND. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT THE SOURCE OF THE CRIMINAL SANCTION USUALLY TYPIFIED AS MORAL INDIGNATION, WAS MORE A COGNITIVELY BASED EVALUATION THAN AN EMOTIONALLY BASED REACTION. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)