Scholars generally agree that offending decisions occur in social context, with some suggesting that choice models should explicitly integrate the notion that the deviant actions of others can incentivize offending. In this study, we investigate whether group settings can also disincentivize deviant action via reverse bandwagon effects, where individuals reverse their offending decision and express an intention to opt out of the criminal act. Based on survey data from three universities using hypothetical scenarios about theft and fighting, we find evidence of opt-out thresholds. Our findings indicate that deviant groups can serve as both an incentive and a disincentive, and that the relationship between group size and the perceived utility of crime is more complicated than prior work has suggested. Moreover, we find that these self-reported opt-out thresholds vary across scenarios, indicating that socially interdependent decision-making processes may be situation specific. In the end, the study underscores the importance of acknowledging the social context in offending decisions and highlights that group effects may be more complex and nuanced than previously discussed.

中文翻译：

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该团体可以抑制冒犯行为吗？考虑选择退出阈值和决策逆转*

学者们普遍同意，冒犯性的决定发生在社会背景下，一些人建议选择模型应该明确整合其他人的越轨行为可以激励冒犯的概念。在这项研究中，我们调查了群体环境是否也可以通过逆向潮流效应抑制越轨行为，即个人逆转他们的犯罪决定并表达选择退出犯罪行为的意图。根据三所大学使用有关盗窃和打架的假设场景的调查数据，我们找到了选择退出阈值的证据。我们的研究结果表明，越轨群体既可以起到激励作用，也可以起到抑制作用，并且群体规模与感知的犯罪效用之间的关系比之前的工作表明的更为复杂。而且，我们发现这些自我报告的选择退出阈值因情景而异，表明社会上相互依赖的决策过程可能因情况而异。最后，该研究强调了在做出冒犯决定时承认社会背景的重要性，并强调群体效应可能比之前讨论的更复杂和微妙。