On the stability of individual punishment preferences: A longitudinal, cross-national study

• In Event: Understanding punishment preferences in the public: New findings from the Central European Social Survey

Abstract

Scholarship on public punitiveness mostly breaks down into one of two areas: 1) research on aggregate trends, or 2) research on the correlates of individual attitudes. What is missing is research on the stability of individual punishment preferences over time. Are punitive attitudes stable at the individual level? If not, what factors predict changes in individuals’ punitiveness? The current study answers this question using a unique data source: a longitudinal and cross-national survey, in which sentencing preferences were measured identically in multiple waves. Applying methods from discrepancy score research, this paper quantifies the within-person agreement in punishment preferences on two dimensions: quality (or type of punishment) and quantity (or the amount of punishment). We also examine whether greater time consistency can be found in particular crime scenarios and among certain types of individuals (e.g., authoritarians).

Authors

• Andrzej Uhl, University of Cambridge

• Justin T. Pickett, University at Albany, SUNY