Reactions to suffering of others under conditions of indirect responsibility.

Abstract

PRESENTED AS A STUDY OF PAIRED-ASSOCIATE LEARNING TO 66 FEMALE UNDERGRADUATES WHO PARTICIPATED IN PAIRS. EACH S, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THOSE IN A CONTROL CONDITION, WAS LED TO BELIEVE THAT HER PARTNER WAS TO RECEIVE A STRONG ELECTRICAL SHOCK AND THAT S WOULD BE IN A MORE DESIRABLE CONDITION (CONTROL OR MONEY). WHEN S PERCEIVED THAT THE OTHER PERSON WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR HER OWN SUFFERING, SUBSEQUENT DESCRIPTIONS OF THE OTHER PERSON WERE RELATIVELY OBJECTIVE. WHEN S PERCEIVED HERSELF AS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OTHER PERSON'S FATE, SHE TENDED TO DEVALUE HER. WHEN THE OTHER PERSON WAS PERCEIVED AS RESPONSIBLE BOTH FOR HER OWN SUFFERING AND FOR S'S DESIRABLE FATE, THE ATTRACTIVENESS OF THE OTHER PERSON WAS ENHANCED.

A review of the literature relating to rape victim blaming: An analysis of the impact of observer and victim characteristics on attribution of blame in rape cases

“…Historically, various theories explaining rape victim-blaming were developed and studies were conducted to investigate the background and mechanisms of rape blame attribution, with most convincing evidence for the Defensive Attribution Hypothesis (Shaver, 1970) and the notion of Homophobia (White & Yamawaki, 2009), as opposed to the Just World Theory (Lerner & Matthews, 1967). More recently, the field gained a renewed interest and more extensive, reliable and valid studies have been conducted, adding more realistic and relevant variables, typically using the vignette methodology.…”

“…Early studies predominantly aimed to find support for the Just World Theory (Lerner & Matthews, 1967), which states that people perceive the world to be a fair place where individuals deserve what they get and get what they deserve (Lambert & Raichle, 2000). By blaming rape victims, it is assumed that they deserve their misfortune, which gives people a sense of control, order, and justice (Grubb & Harrower, 2008).…”

Impressions of a promisor after social deprivation or satiation

“…DISCUSSION A completely honest promisor was perceived ~ evaluatively better than a completely dishonest promisor, as indicated by ratings on polar adjectives related to honesty, wisdom, kindness, and goodness. That Ss should rate as evaluatively better a promisor who keeps his word squares with common sense and has been found in other investigations (Berkowitz & Daniels, 1963;Goranson & Berkowitz, 1966;Lerner & Matthews, 1967;Lindskold & Tedeschi, 1971;Zajonc & Martin, 1967).…”

The Effects of News Stories that Put Crime and Violence Into Context: Testing the Public Health Model of Reporting

“…293). People with the just world point of view (Lerner, 1970;Lerner & Matthews, 1967;Lerner & Simmons, 1966) typically see society as fair and the status quo as desirable. They believe conformity to rules and authority is important, and punishment is appropriate.``People get what they deserve,'' is a typical comment.…”

“…They are: fatalism, following Rotter's construct (Rotter, 1954;Rotter, Chance, & Phares, 1972), just world, using Lerner's de®nition (Lerner, 1970, Lerner & Matthews, 1967Lerner & Simmons, 1966), and comprehensibilit y (Silk, 1995). Fatalism was de®ned as viewing things as random, with no logical cause or reason.…”