Making the punishment fit the crime and the criminal: Attributions of dangerousness as a mediator of liability

This research examines how individuals use information regarding characteristics of crimes (e.g., crime severity) and characteristics of the offender (e.g., prior criminal record) to form an impression of the criminal as dangerous to society, and to make liability judgments. Two studies presented college students and community members with crime scenarios and asked for ratings of crime severity, likelihood of recidivism, perceived dangerousness of the offender, and liability. Type of crime, severity, and likelihood of recidivism significantly predicted both liability and perceived dangerousness. Furthermore, in crimes against people only, the effects of severity and recidivism on liability were partially mediated by individuals' perceptions of the offender as criminally dangerous. The discussion examines the implications of these findings for attribution theory and sentencing in the criminal-justice system.