BEAUTIFUL BUT DANGEROUS - EFFECTS OF OFFENDER ATTRACTIVENESS AND NATURE OF THE CRIME ON JURIDIC JUDGMENT

• NCJ Number: 26377
• Journal: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology Volume: 31 Issue: 3 Dated: (1975) Pages: 410-414
• Author(s): H SIGALL; N OSTROVE
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 5 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: University of Maryland
• Corporate Author: American Psychological Assoc
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE PHYSICAL ATTRACTIVENESS OF A CRIMINAL DEFENDANT (ATTRACTIVE, UNATTRACTIVE, NO INFORMATION) AND THE NATURE OF THE CRIME (ATTRACTIVENESS-RELATED, ATTRACTIVENESSUNRELATED) WERE VARIED IN A FACTORIAL DESIGN.

Abstract

AFTER READING ONE OF THE CASE ACCOUNTS, SUBJECTS SENTENCED THE DEFENDANT TO A TERM OF IMPRISONMENT. AN INTERACTION WAS PREDICTED: WHEN THE CRIME WAS UNRELATED TO ATTRACTIVENESS (BURGLARY), SUBJECTS WOULD ASSIGN MORE LENIENT SENTENCES TO THE ATTRACTIVE DEFENDANT THAN TO THE UNATTRACTIVE DEFENDANT; WHEN THE OFFENSE WAS ATTRACTIVENESS-RELATED (SWINDLE), THE ATTRACTIVE DEFENDANT WOULD RECEIVE HARSHER TREATMENT. THE RESULTS CONFIRMED THE PREDICTIONS, THEREBY SUPPORTING A COGNITIVE EXPLANATION FOR THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PHYSICAL ATTRACTIVENESS OF DEFENDANTS AND THE NATURE OF THE JUDGMENTS MADE AGAINST THEM. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)