The Impact of Gender and Presence of Tattoos on the Perception of Criminal Behavior
Location
Room 217, Schewel Hall
Access Type
Campus Access Only
Entry Number
120
Start Date
4-5-2023 10:45 AM
End Date
4-5-2023 11:00 AM
College
Lynchburg College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Psychology
Keywords
crime, personality, perception, crime severity
Abstract
Understanding the impact and social relevance of how the presence of tattoos and gender affect perceptions of criminals is vital to understanding how to decrease biases in the legal system. This study was conducted to examine the impact of gender and tattoos on perceptions of severity of punishment for a crime, likelihood of recidivism, and personality of a criminal. The sample included 109 college students. The participants saw a photo of a hypothetical criminal where gender and presence of tattoos was manipulated. Then they answered questions about opinions on severity of punishment, likelihood of recidivism, and personality traits. The results showed that there was not a statistically significant main effect or interaction of gender and tattoo presence on perception of likelihood of recidivism and severity of punishment. The personality items of health, strength, masculinity, passivity, and beauty all yielded a significant main effect. These results suggest that gender and presence of tattoos do not influence how people view severity of punishment and likelihood of recidivism, but do influence the assumptions people make about people's personality.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. Alisha Marciano
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The Impact of Gender and Presence of Tattoos on the Perception of Criminal Behavior
Room 217, Schewel Hall
Understanding the impact and social relevance of how the presence of tattoos and gender affect perceptions of criminals is vital to understanding how to decrease biases in the legal system. This study was conducted to examine the impact of gender and tattoos on perceptions of severity of punishment for a crime, likelihood of recidivism, and personality of a criminal. The sample included 109 college students. The participants saw a photo of a hypothetical criminal where gender and presence of tattoos was manipulated. Then they answered questions about opinions on severity of punishment, likelihood of recidivism, and personality traits. The results showed that there was not a statistically significant main effect or interaction of gender and tattoo presence on perception of likelihood of recidivism and severity of punishment. The personality items of health, strength, masculinity, passivity, and beauty all yielded a significant main effect. These results suggest that gender and presence of tattoos do not influence how people view severity of punishment and likelihood of recidivism, but do influence the assumptions people make about people's personality.