Heinous Crime or Unfortunate Accident? The Effects of Remorse on Responses to Mock Criminal Confessions

Abstract

Affect control theory provides a rigorous, testable model of emotion. We use simulations based on this theory to develop predictions about the impact of emotion displays on identity attributions and subsequent sentencing recommendations in the context of criminal confessions. We then test these predictions with an experimental study using vignettes of criminal confessions. Students responded to mock criminal confessions by drivers responsible for vehicular manslaughter who either appeared to be remorseful or showed no signs of remorse. Path analyses supported the predictions that displays of remorse have an indirect effect on severity of sentence recommendation through impact on identity assessment.

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