Articles tagged with Punishment
A new study found that US non-citizens are more likely to receive prison sentences and longer terms compared to citizens. The research analyzed federal court data from 1992-2008 and found a 11% difference in sentencing between citizens and non-citizens.
Annulla Linders' research reveals that family members of victims witnessing executions has transformed the process and audience, re-personalizing executions with emotional satisfaction for families. Currently, 18 US states allow intimates to witness executions, complicating arrangements and public perception.
A new study suggests that using animal metaphors to describe violent crimes can lead to increased punishment for perpetrators due to heightened perceptions of risk. This study found that such descriptions result in significantly harsher punishments compared to non-animalistic descriptions.
A new brain imaging study identified the neural mechanisms underlying judgment of punishment for harm caused intentionally or unintentionally. The study found that graphic language influences punishment, but only when harm is intentional, while unintentional harm has no effect on punishment level.
Exposure to neuroscientific information diminishes people's support for retributive punishment and perceived moral responsibility. Students who learned about brain processes proposed less severe punishment than their peers, indicating a shift in moral attributions.
Researchers at Princeton University found that punishment is only satisfying if the offender changes their attitude as a result of punishment. The study suggests that punishment alone does not bring about moral change in offenders.
A new study using real-time audio recordings of parents practicing corporal punishment found that children were hit for minor infractions and then misbehaved within 10 minutes. The study revealed parents often responded impulsively or emotionally, violating best practices recommended by spanking advocates.
Researchers at University of Vienna investigate how voluntary reward funds can help coordinate cooperators in threshold public good games. Their study finds that rewards can lead to high levels of cooperation and even 100% cooperation in certain conditions.
Researchers at Southern Methodist University found that a brief exposure to research findings can reduce positive corporal punishment attitudes in parents and non-parents. The study used a simple, fast method to expose subjects to short summaries detailing the negative impact of spanking on child behavior.
In a public goods game, participants preferred institutions with punishment for tax evaders to increase cooperation. A majority decision ensured the institution was established, promoting group benefits. Democratic choices led to more cooperative behavior and greater profits.
Research from University of Kent suggests perfectionism and high work motivation contribute to workaholism. Self-oriented perfectionists tend to exhibit higher levels of workaholism due to internal drivers such as self-control and rewards.
A new study by Emily Ryo found that perceptions of certainty of arrest and severity of punishment are not significant determinants of intentions to migrate illegally. Non-economic factors such as community norms and moral justifications play a stronger role in Mexicans' decisions to enter the US illegally.
Soldiers at risk of PTSD if public support for war is low, social validation shapes distress from killing. Narcissists woo women more easily, while virtuous people's happiness varies across cultures, influenced by antisocial punishment and geographical distance in politics.
Research by USC Marshall School of Business professor Scott Wiltermuth found that giving individuals a sense of power leads to a clear sense of right and wrong, causing them to punish transgressions more severely. This moral clarity can lead to organizational problems in the private and public sector.
A new study reveals that consumers seek to punish fellow shoppers who break rules, yet make exceptions depending on the situation. Consumers are less likely to punish someone if they've been punished by a store employee or have experienced adversity themselves.
Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have created a model showing how ADHD medication influences the brain's reward system. The study found that dopamine signaling pathways are sensitive to drugs like Ritalin, leading to paradoxical effects at different dosages.
Research suggests that vendettas can be viable over the long term among group members, despite being costly and damaging to stakeholders. The study found that punishment mechanisms can enhance cooperation in public good games within groups.
Researchers at UCSB's Center for Evolutionary Psychology report new findings on human behaviors, supporting the individual cooperation account over group cooperation theory. The studies involved structured social interactions with over 200 participants, who showed a preference for trusting individuals likely to cooperate, not those who...
A modeling study published in PLOS ONE found that introducing small payments alongside punishment can create stable, righteous societies in the face of corruption. Once corruption is eradicated, it can be held at bay indefinitely even if power inequalities return.
A recent analysis suggests that physical punishment of children can lead to increased childhood aggression and mental health issues in adulthood. The Canadian Medical Association Journal argues that emphasizing education on alternative forms of discipline is a more promising approach.
A new study found that policies rewarding abstinence from terrorism were more successful in reducing such acts of violence than tactics focusing on punishment. Conciliatory actions like providing social services and encouraging peace talks led to a decrease in terrorism rates.
A study published in Biology Letters found that humans punish cheats only when they end up better off than the punisher, challenging the notion of revenge-based motivation. The researchers aimed to clarify the relationship between punishment and cooperation by investigating underlying motivations.
A University of Oregon psychologist found that societies with strong punitive religious beliefs have lower crime rates. Conversely, countries where people believe more in heaven tend to have higher crime rates.
A new study by Stanford psychologists reveals that race affects juvenile sentencing, with participants who imagined a black offender more likely to support life sentences without parole. The study's findings highlight the fragility of protections for juveniles when race is in play.
Researchers propose a neurobiological model for third-party punishment, revealing its cognitive processes and brain areas involved. This new understanding sheds light on human cooperation and the development of large-scale societies.
A study by Indiana University found that racial disparities in school discipline are primarily due to school characteristics, not student behavior. Schools with higher proportions of black students are more likely to use exclusionary forms of discipline.
A study by Brown University psychologist Fiery Cushman found that 44% of baseball fans approved of a pitcher targeting an innocent player to avenge a teammate. The researchers suggest this 'vicarious punishment' may be driven by honor or deterrence, rather than moral responsibility.
A recent study published in Aggressive Behavior suggests that genetic risk factors condition the effects of corporal punishment on antisocial behavior, especially in male children. Additionally, research finds a link between life course persistent offenders and rape, implying a possible genetic origin for the latter.
Research over 20 years shows physical punishment harms children's development, increasing aggression and mental health problems. Interventions like positive discipline can reduce difficult behaviour in children.
Young children exposed to harsh punishment are more likely to lie and better at telling convincing lies than those from non-punitive schools, a study suggests. The research found that children in punitive environments could deceive even older children, challenging existing theories on cognitive development.
A recent study by researchers at USC and other universities found that substantive efforts to repair trust, such as apologies and commitments to reform, are critical in regaining trust. The study showed that nothing beats showing true contrition in winning back trust.
Neural signals related to reinforcement and punishment are widely distributed throughout the entire human brain, challenging previous notions of specialized brain structures. The study's findings suggest that both positive and negative outcomes directly influence neural processing, with adaptive value for optimizing cognitive processes.
Researchers suggest using linear compensation to design emissions reduction strategies that benefit all nations, with punishments adjusted relative to other countries' performance. This mechanism leverages national abatement efforts to incentivize cooperation.
A University of Cincinnati study reveals that racial tensions played a significant role in Southern executions, with black audiences using these events as sites of resistance to oppression. The research found that white reporters portrayed the executions as 'just' and downplayed the conflict they sparked among black communities.
A new study published in Social Development journal found that schools using corporal punishment performed worse on tasks requiring planning and self-control. Children exposed to punitive environments had lower verbal intelligence and increased behavioral problems related to executive-functioning deficits.
A study of 37 families found that mothers who recorded their interactions with their young children revealed chaotic and often ineffective corporal punishment practices. The audio recordings, captured over six days, showed a wide range of reactions from children, including crying, tantrums, and whimpering.
A University of Missouri study finds that students justify cheating with excuses like 'too hard to do' or 'severe illness'. Instructors can reduce cheating by communicating clear expectations and providing consistent enforcement, according to the researcher.
A Yale University study found that LGB adolescents are 40% more likely to be punished by school authorities, police, and the courts. Girls who identified as lesbian or bisexual were especially at risk for unequal treatment, with twice as many police stops, arrests, and convictions.
A new study from Rice University found that players are more likely to imitate high-status leaders and ignore low-status leaders in a repeated public-goods game. Contributions from followers with low-status leaders dropped off even as their leaders increased their contributions, showing the importance of leader status on cooperation.
Researchers discovered that reef fish punish blennies for stealing food without punishment, resulting in reduced future attacks on punishers. This behavior creates a public good, as all members of the species benefit from the punishment.
A recent study published in PLOS ONE suggests that brain abnormalities may underlie the development of antisocial behavior and drug abuse in boys. The research found significant differences in brain activity between antisocial boys and their peers, including reduced activity in regions responsible for decision-making and reward process...
Research by Elizabeth Tibbetts and Amanda Izzo found that paper wasps punish peers who falsely advertise their fighting ability to maintain accurate signals. In experiments, wasps with mismatched facial patterns and behavior were punished, while those whose signal and behavior matched were rarely targeted.
Research led by UNC studies found that corporal punishment is prevalent globally, with 79% of preschool children in the US and varying rates in other countries. Harsh physical discipline was epidemic in all communities, and mothers with fewer education years were more likely to use physical punishment.
A recent study by John Deering found that newly recruited probation officers in the UK value humanistic approaches to rehabilitation over punitive measures. The respondents emphasized the importance of addressing social and economic inequalities contributing to crime, rather than attributing it to individual failures.
A new study suggests that cooperation in large societies is partly dependent on historical forces like religious beliefs and market transactions. The extent of punishment used to enforce norms increases and decreases with the number of people in the society.
A study of 504 death penalty cases in Harris County, Texas found that defendants who kill high-status victims are more likely to be sentenced to death. The researchers argue that the concept of arbitrariness suggests that irrelevant social facts shape the outcome of capital cases.
Research at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute found that punishment is necessary to maintain a mutually beneficial relationship between plants and wasp pollinators. In actively pollinated fig species, wasps that don't provide pollination are sanctioned, while in passively pollinated species, sanctions are absent.
A study by Juan Miguel Fernández Campoy found that young inmates in reformatories see academic and professional education as a key to finding employment and escaping delinquent behavior. The researcher suggests improving the facilities' locations, labor market training, and staff relationships to support reintegration.
New research by University of New Hampshire professor Murray Straus reveals a strong link between spanking and lower IQs in children. The study found that children who were spanked had lower IQs four years later compared to those who were not spanked.
A longitudinal study of low-income parents and their 1-year-old children found that spanking leads to more aggressive behaviors and less sophisticated cognitive development. Verbal punishment, however, is not associated with such negative effects when accompanied by emotional support from mothers.
Researchers at Harvard University found that rewards promote public cooperation and lead to better outcomes for the group. Positive interpersonal interactions were more effective in building compliance than punishment, contradicting previous studies that focused on punishment.
A group of addiction scientists argue that the death penalty for drug trafficking is ineffective and violates human rights. The editorial cites the UN statement on capital punishment's limited scope and emphasizes the need to abolish this practice. Addiction experts, including lead author Professor Griffith Edwards, call for scientists...
Researchers call for clear communications, external analysis, and a review focusing on quality care to address large-scale medical errors. The authors argue that national guidelines would ensure more timely disclosure and improve patient safety.
Researchers used functional MRI to scan subjects making decisions about punishments, finding activity in key brain regions tracked punishment magnitude. Activity in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex played a key role in deciding punishment based on criminal responsibility.
Researchers found that individuals with lower physical sensitivities to sudden noises and threatening images tend to support liberal policies, while those with higher physiological reactions favor conservative policies. This discovery may help explain the stability of strong convictions and the prevalence of political conflict.
A new study suggests that selfish individuals have a strategy called 'Selfish Punisher' that exploits altruists and punishes other selfish individuals, making it a successful approach in Darwinian terms. Altruism can evolve by natural selection as long as its collective advantage outweighs its local disadvantage.
A study by researchers at Harvard University found that punishing others does not increase the average payoff of a group. Instead, it leads to reduced individual payoff and a downward spiral of retaliation. The study suggests that punishment may have evolved for dominance hierarchy and ownership defense, rather than cooperation.
Physicians must not participate in executions as it contradicts the core concept of ethics in medicine. Lethal injections used in executions raise concerns about pain and human suffering, with experts calling for improved procedures to ensure humane treatment. The Mayo Clinic Proceedings provides a forum for debate on this critical issue.
Three anesthesiologists and a medical ethicist discuss whether doctors should participate in state-ordered executions, citing technical problems with lethal injection. They argue that doctors can minimize suffering, but others propose replacing anesthesia-related drugs with alternative personnel.
A study by Dr. Thomas Brewer found that blacks and whites give mitigation the same level of attention in most capital cases, but black jurors are significantly more open to mitigating evidence when a black defendant is facing killing a white victim.