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Retributive Sentiments Track Both Deterrent and Compensatory Concerns in a Small-Scale Society and a WEIRD Sample.
1Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Toulouse School of Economics.
Psychological Science
|May 11, 2026
Summary
Human punishment evolved to deter antisocial behavior and restore fairness. Research shows punishment balances victim compensation with offender deterrence, especially for intentional acts and repeat offenses.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Evolutionary theories propose retributive sentiments deter antisocial behavior.
- Psychological evidence indicates punitive sentiments do not perfectly optimize deterrence.
- Recent theories suggest punishment restores mutual benefit by compensating victims and deterring transgressors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the hypothesis that retributive sentiments serve to restore mutual benefit.
- To examine the roles of compensation and deterrence in human punishment.
- To compare punitive sentiments across different societal scales.
Main Methods:
- Four experiments were conducted.
- Participants included adults from a small-scale society (Mentawai horticulturalists, Indonesia; N = 74) and a large-scale society (United States; N = 600).
- Hypothesis predictions regarding compensation and deterrence were tested.
Main Results:
- Participants demanded victim compensation proportional to their loss.
- Punishment severity increased with victim suffering, holding aggressor benefit constant.
- Additional penalties beyond restitution were higher for recidivism and intentional offenses, indicating compensation and deterrence entanglement.
Conclusions:
- Punishment functions to both compensate victims and deter transgressors.
- The entanglement of compensation and deterrence resolves paradoxes in the evolutionary function of human punishment.
- Findings highlight the dual role of punishment in maintaining social cooperation across diverse societies.
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