Is there a “crime gene”? This question has been answered by the scientific community, and the response is a definitive “no.” Yet, it is unclear whether this information has been communicated to the general public. Furthermore, it is unclear whether people’s views about the genetics of crime influence their perceptions of the way offenders should be treated. This study uses attribution theory to understand how perceptions of the role of genetic factors in criminal behavior influence beliefs about the punishment, redeemability, and rehabilitation of offenders. Drawing on a national sample of White respondents (N = 392), this study finds that only a small proportion believe there is a single crime gene. Compared to other respondents, those who believe crime is caused by a single gene believe that punishment should be weakened, are less supportive of rehabilitation efforts, and believe that offenders are less capable of redemption. Implications of these findings are discussed.

有“犯罪基因”吗？科学界已经回答了这个问题，答案是肯定的“否”。然而，目前尚不清楚该信息是否已经传达给公众。此外，还不清楚人们对犯罪遗传学的看法是否会影响他们对应如何对待罪犯的看法。这项研究使用归因理论来理解对犯罪行为中遗传因素作用的看法如何影响对罪犯的惩罚，可赎回和康复的信念。利用全国白人受访者样本（N = 392），这项研究发现只有一小部分人相信只有一个犯罪基因。与其他受访者相比，那些认为犯罪是由单一基因造成的人认为，应当削弱惩罚，对康复工作的支持较少，并且认为罪犯的救赎能力较弱。讨论了这些发现的含义。