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Judging the goring ox: retribution directed toward animals.
Geoffrey P Goodwin1, Adam Benforado
1Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania.
Cognitive Science
|September 27, 2014
Summary
This study isolates retribution by examining animal punishment judgments. Findings reveal that perceived victim loss and culprit identity significantly influence retributive sentiment, independent of deterrence concerns.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Moral Psychology
- Animal Cognition
Background:
- Research on retribution is often confounded by general deterrence motives in human studies.
- Isolating pure retribution requires a paradigm that removes considerations of deterring future human behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the psychological underpinnings of retribution.
- To differentiate retributive motives from general deterrence in punishment judgments.
- To explore the influence of victim identity and targeted punishment on retributive sentiment.
Main Methods:
- Judgments of animal punishment were used to isolate retribution from general deterrence.
- Studies 2 and 3 examined the "victim identity" effect, linking perceived loss to deserved punishment.
- Studies 4 and 5 investigated the "targeted punishment" effect and explored mediating factors.
Main Results:
- A "victim identity" effect was observed: greater perceived loss led to stronger beliefs in deserved killing.
- A "targeted punishment" effect emerged: punishing the "guilty" animal was deemed more deserved than punishing an "innocent" one.
- Both effects were mediated by retributive sentiment, not consequentialist concerns.
Conclusions:
- Retribution can be studied independently of deterrence by using animal punishment scenarios.
- Perceived victim loss and the identity of the offender are key drivers of retributive judgments.
- These findings underscore the distinct psychological basis of retribution.