How do we assign punishment? The impact of minimal and maximal standards on the evaluation of deviants.
To explain the determinants of negative behavior toward deviants (e.g., punishment), this article examines how people evaluate others on the basis of two types of standards: minimal and maximal. Minimal standards focus on an absolute cutoff point for appropriate behavior; accordingly, the evaluation of others varies dichotomously between acceptable or unacceptable. Maximal standards focus on the degree of deviation from that standard; accordingly, the evaluation of others varies gradually from positive to less positive. This framework leads to the prediction that violation of minimal standards should elicit punishment regardless of the degree of deviation, whereas punishment in response to violations of maximal standards should depend on the degree of deviation. Four studies assessed or manipulated the type of standard and degree of deviation displayed by a target. Results consistently showed the expected interaction between type of standard (minimal and maximal) and degree of deviation on punishment behavior.
Kessler
Thomas
T
University of Jena, Jena, Germany. Thomas.Kessler@uni-jena.de
Neumann
Jörg
J
Mummendey
Amélie
A
Berthold
Anne
A
Schubert
Thomas
T
Waldzus
Sven
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009014:Morals; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011678:Punishment; D011897:Random Allocation; D012919:Social Behavior; D012925:Social Conformity; D011049:Social Control Policies / Q000592:standards*; D014104:Torture / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult