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  • Sometimes Ignorance is Bliss: Investigating Citizen Perceptions of the Certainty and Severity of Punishment

    Author(s)
    Piquero, AR
    Piquero, NL
    Gertz, M
    Bratton, J
    Loughran, TA
    Griffith University Author(s)
    Piquero, Alex R.
    Year published
    2012
    Metadata
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    Abstract
    Deterrence lies at the heart of the criminal justice system and policy. There is a lack of information on citizen's perceptions regarding a critical element of the deterrence process as it manifests through the communication of sanction threats. This study uses data from over 400 adults to examine their knowledge regarding the probability of detection and the average punishments for DUI, and also assesses the contribution of demographic and theoretical variables in predicting perceptions of detection probabilities and punishment estimates. Results show that persons overestimate the likelihood of detection and provide ...
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    Deterrence lies at the heart of the criminal justice system and policy. There is a lack of information on citizen's perceptions regarding a critical element of the deterrence process as it manifests through the communication of sanction threats. This study uses data from over 400 adults to examine their knowledge regarding the probability of detection and the average punishments for DUI, and also assesses the contribution of demographic and theoretical variables in predicting perceptions of detection probabilities and punishment estimates. Results show that persons overestimate the likelihood of detection and provide higher estimates for average sentence lengths, but very few variables predict deterrence perceptions. An investigation of the resetting effect shows that persons tend to lower the estimated likelihood of punishment after experiencing a punishment. Deterrence may work better if researchers and policy officials understand what influences these perceptions and how they may be modified.
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    Journal Title
    American Journal of Criminal Justice
    Volume
    37
    DOI
    https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-011-9145-z
    Subject
    Causes and Prevention of Crime
    Criminology
    Policy and Administration
    Publication URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/10072/44619
    Collection
    • Journal articles

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