Not all Explanations are Equal: Only Explanations Invoking a Change from the true self Mitigate Responsibility

• DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/sx7cn
• Publication Date: 2020-05-13T14:35:08Z
• Authors: John Protzko; Nick Buttrick; Charles R. Ebersole; Sebastian Lundmark; Jonathan Schooler
• Keywords: Blame; Punishment (psychology)

When do people believe that biological explanations, such as genes, brain damage, or abnormal hormones, mitigate punishment for crimes? We propose the way in which biology is viewed impacting true self of actor—who actor really is, deep down—is key element predicting biologically-based mitigation. Across four preregistered studies, 4,066 American adults learned different explanations crimes and judged punishment, fault, blame. show, while some responsibility, general ascriptions to genes not. Participants external events like traumatic injury a disconnect between peripheral self, whereas they did not genetic ascriptions. People interprete genes-based indicating perpetrators was violent dangerous, other impugn actor’s self. Only when bases are described mutations become mitigating factors. In these latter cases, harshly because crime could be attributed aspects Therefore, differ extent implicate These results help clear up appear responsibility crimes: aspect question part it will blame; but more peripheral, blame seems mitigating.