Perceived freedom, aggression, and responsibility, and the assignment of punishment

The present experiment investigated the effects of the decision freedom of a transgressor on attributions of aggression and responsibility, and the assignment of punishment by naive observers. In a mass testing session Ss (N = 48 female college students) read one of four descriptions of Mr. X, a corporate vice president, who embezzled $50,000 under varying ce:degrees of coercion. The degree of constraint operating on Mr. X prior to his decision to embezzle was manipulated by providing (or not providing) justifications for his behavior involving threats made upon the safety of Mr. X or his family. After reading a scenario Ss were asked to rate the aggressiveness of Mr. X on a semantic differential instrument and to indicate whether they perceived him as deserving of legal responsibility or punishment. Results revealed that constraints which reduced the transgressor's decision freedom also lessened the dispositional aggressiveness attributed, the blame assigned, and the retribution meted out to him. Additionally, it was found that observers considered the decision freedom of an actor even when the latter's action had been instigated by a coercive agent.