Explaining the Psychopathic “Label” and Punishment Outcomes within the Context of Moral Panic

• In Event: Psychological Mechanisms Underlying Lay Support for Criminal Sentencing Outcomes

Abstract

Decades of vignette studies have examined how an offender’s psychopathic “label,” as well as the type of label (i.e., a description of a condition’s traits as opposed to the explicit label), its use alongside other important information about a defendant’s background (i.e., criminal record), and in comparison to other mental illnesses (i.e., psychosis), may influence lay support for three main punishment outcomes: sentencing, treatment amenability, and dangerousness. However, these studies have yet to explain why some, but not all, of these labels lead to more punitive support across these outcomes. This study, using a 2 x 4 x 3 experimental design with a sample of the lay public collected via Qualtrics Panel, examines whether dimensions of moral panic toward psychopathy help to explain the effects of psychopathic “labelling” on punishment support. Participants were provided with a vignette about a physical altercation which varied the criminal record, diagnosis, and label type of the perpetrator. Results suggest that dimensions of moral panic mediate the relationships between some, but not all, label types/perpetrator characteristics and participants’ ratings on the perpetrator’s sentencing, treatment amenability, and dangerousness. These data are used to discuss potential implications surrounding sentencing in both capital and noncapital cases.

Authors

• Merin Sanil, Rutgers University

• Sandy Xie, Rutgers University

• Colleen Berryessa, Rutgers University