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Psychologically Disordered and Criminal Offenders

Perceptions of their Volition and Responsibility

Program in Social Ecology University of California, Irvine

Gloria L. Hood

Program in Social Ecology University of California, Irvine

Numerous surveys have assessed community perceptions of the psychologically disordered. None of these surveys, however, has focused upon perceptions of psychologically disordered offenders. The present study assessed community perceptions of the volitional capacity and moral responsibility of disordered offenders, given the centrality of these constructs in criminal and civil law. Subjects taken from jury rolls were presented with a case description of a violent crime and provided with an offender history which noted either prior psychological disorder or prior criminal behavior, or they were provided with no history. Results generally support the hypotheses that offenders whose deviant acts are placed in the context of psychological disorder are perceived as having less "free will," being less morally responsible and blameworthy, and being less deserving of punishment than those whose deviance is either placed in the context of criminality or is of ambiguous origin.

Criminal Justice and Behavior, Vol. 3, No. 2, 123-134 (1976)
DOI: 10.1177/009385487600300202


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