Objective

We examine whether affective, verbal, and restitutive displays of remorse are associated with perceived offender immorality, as well as whether displays of remorse exert indirect effects on preferences for criminal sentencing via perceived offender immorality.

Method

Data are from an online survey, which included a sentencing vignette with experimental manipulations for offender remorse and items measuring sentencing preferences, perceived offender and offense immorality, and controls (N = 352). OLS regression and bias-corrected bootstrap confidence intervals were used to estimate direct and indirect effects. Replication analyses were conducted with two student samples (N = 103 and N = 131).

Results

Displays of remorse were associated with perceived offender immorality. Displays of remorse also exerted indirect effects on preferences for sentencing severity and support for particular sentencing goals (including incapacitation, rehabilitation, and restoration).

Conclusions

Affective, verbal, and restitutive displays of remorse may be associated with sentencing preferences via perceived offender immorality.

中文翻译：

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悔恨，认为罪犯不道德，以及非专业的量刑偏好

客观的

我们研究了悔恨的情感、言语和恢复性表现是否与感知的罪犯不道德有关，以及悔恨的表现是否通过感知的罪犯不道德对刑事判决的偏好产生间接影响。

方法

数据来自在线调查，其中包括一个量刑小插曲，其中包含对罪犯悔恨的实验操作和衡量量刑偏好、感知的罪犯和犯罪不道德以及控制的项目（N  = 352）。OLS 回归和偏差校正自举置信区间用于估计直接和间接影响。对两个学生样本（N  = 103 和N  = 131）进行了复制分析。

结果

悔恨的表现与感知到的罪犯不道德有关。悔恨的表现也对量刑严重程度的偏好和对特定量刑目标（包括丧失能力、康复和恢复）的支持产生间接影响。

结论

悔恨的情感、言语和恢复性表现可能通过感知到的罪犯不道德而与量刑偏好相关联。