This research examined whether an individual's endorsement of punishment goals moderates and mediates the effect of a clinical assessment of recidivism risk on the length of prison sentences. We ...measured participants' endorsement of punishment goals, both before they read a criminal case (i.e. a priori endorsement), and after they had read it (i.e. case-specific endorsement). As expected, the effect of the clinical report's conclusion on participants' sentencing decisions was moderated by a priori endorsement of incapacitation as a punishment goal. Participants who expressed strong (versus weak) a priori endorsement of this punishment goal were influenced by the report's conclusion on the risk of recidivism. In addition, when the clinical report concluded that the offender had a high risk of recidivating, participants expressed greater case-specific motivation to incapacitate him. Finally, the clinical report's conclusion had an indirect effect on the severity of the sentence through case-specific endorsement of the incapacitation punishment goal.
Objective. The objective of this research was to describe and analyze the role of psychological and behavioral factors on perceptions of COVID-19 in France and Quebec at three different times during ...the pandemic. Design. We conducted three qualitative and quantitative studies (Study 1 N = 255, Study 2 N = 230, Study 3 N = 143). Participants were asked to evaluate psychological and behavioral measures: at the beginning of lockdown (Study 1), during lockdown (Study 2), and during lockdown exit (Study 3). Results. Results of Study 1 show that perceptions of COVID-19 are organized around fear and a sense of threat. During the lockdown, participants mentioned for the first time the health practices to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (Study 2). Psychological and social impacts constitute a central theme in participants’ discourse (Study 2 and 3). Conclusions. The results show that perceptions of risk during a pandemic are socially constructed. Perceptions seem to be influenced by the political and health management of a territory and by the evolution of behavioral and psychological responses.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to offer a discussion on the socio-cognitive biases involved during a criminal trial, in accordance with the literature in this field.
Design/methodology/approach
...Whether it is the biases of representation, availability or anchoring (Fariña et al., 2003), they have been widely studied in social psychology and constitute a relevant angle of analysis in the judicial context.
Findings
This paper outlines the issues related to the reality of the judicial decision, the psychological dilemmas that arise from it, as well as the normative pressures underlying the need to rationalize the decision. Finally, the status of psycho-legal expertise and the importance given to it is also discussed with regard to these issues.
Practical implications
This paper may help provide the diverse socio-judicial actors with some elements for questioning the psychological mechanisms that may intervene in the decision-making and therefore create a sense of conscientization necessary to optimize the quality of decision-making.
Originality/value
This paper may help provide the diverse socio-judicial actors with some elements for questioning the psychological mechanisms that may intervene in the decision-making and therefore create a sense of conscientization necessary to optimize the quality of decision-making.
This research examined whether an individual's endorsement of punishment goals moderates and mediates the effect of a clinical assessment of recidivism risk on the length of prison sentences. We ...measured participants' endorsement of punishment goals, both before they read a criminal case (i.e. a priori endorsement), and after they had read it (i.e. case-specific endorsement). As expected, the effect of the clinical report's conclusion on participants' sentencing decisions was moderated by a priori endorsement of incapacitation as a punishment goal. Participants who expressed strong (versus weak) a priori endorsement of this punishment goal were influenced by the report's conclusion on the risk of recidivism. In addition, when the clinical report concluded that the offender had a high risk of recidivating, participants expressed greater case-specific motivation to incapacitate him. Finally, the clinical report's conclusion had an indirect effect on the severity of the sentence through case-specific endorsement of the incapacitation punishment goal.
This paper explores how the COVID‐19 pandemic affected care leavers in Quebec, a social group already facing obstacles to social integration. Semi‐structured qualitative interviews were conducted ...with 48 participants and analysed through Castel's zones of vulnerability model. Results suggest that youth who entered the pandemic with more vulnerabilities were more affected by it in all dimensions of their lives. However, results also suggest that the presence of a strong social support network protects even the most vulnerable ones from being overly afflicted, highlighting the importance of interventions that reinforce care leaver's social support network during times of crisis.
Surveys indicate that between 70% and 80% of people consider judges to be too lenient. This current research confirms the inadequacy of this general measure of public opinion by contrasting it with ...alternative opinion-based measures of court sentencing across specific criminal cases. The article also explores the impact of public’s experiences of the criminal justice system on their opinions about the courts. Having been a victim or attending a criminal case where the punishment was seen as being too lenient seems to cause greater dissatisfaction, whereas contact with people working with victims or who have been in prison improves the level of satisfaction.
L’objectif général de la thèse vise à étudier l’impact des conclusions d’expertises psychologiques et psychiatriques en contexte de détermination d’une peine d’emprisonnement. Plus précisément, il ...s’agit d’examiner le rôle des finalités pénales (ou motivations à punir) dans la prise en compte d’une information expertale relative à l’altération mentale ou au risque de récidive dans l’attribution d’une peine. L’expertise peut être définie comme « l’ensemble des formes que prend l’introduction d’une rationalité technico-scientifique dans l’institution, le processus et la décision judiciaires » (Dumoulin, 2005, p.202). Les travaux issus de la littérature montrent généralement que l’expertise joue un rôle dans la prise de décision de jurés d’assises. Néanmoins, très peu de travaux (Krauss, Lieberman, & Olson, 2004 ; Krauss, McCabe, & Lieberman, 2012) mettent en évidence les variables interindividuelles pouvant expliquer ce processus décisionnel. Cette thèse propose précisément de s’intéresser aux finalités pénales comme potentielles variables explicatives de l’impact de l’expertise sur la détermination de la peine en France. Le programme de recherche s’articule autour de deux axes. Les deux premières études (axe 1) traitent du rôle des finalités pénales dans la prise en compte d’une information expertale relative à l’altération mentale (étude 1) ou au risque de récidive (étude 2) lors de la détermination de la peine. La troisième étude (axe 2) examine l’impact des antécédents judiciaires et d’une information expertale relative au risque de récidive sur la peine. De manière générale, les résultats de la thèse mettent en évidence la nécessité de prendre en compte la variabilité interindividuelle dans l’étude de l’impact de l’expertise sur les jugements judiciaires. Plus spécifiquement, les résultats suggèrent que l’usage d’une information expertale lors de l’attribution d’une peine à l’auteur d’un crime dépend des finalités que les individus associent à la peine.
The general purpose of the thesis is to study the impact of psychological and psychiatric testimonies in the context of sentencing. More specifically, this consists of examining the role of the motives for punishment in the consideration of expert information relating to altered mental state or the risk of recidivism in the sentencing process. Expertise can be defined as "all the forms that the introduction of a technical-scientific rationality takes in the institution, process and judicial decision" (Dumoulin, 2005, p.202). The literature generally shows that expertise plays a role in the decision-making of jurors. Nevertheless, only few studies (Krauss, Lieberman, & Olson, 2004; Krauss, McCabe, & Lieberman, 2012) highlights the interindividual variables that can explain this decision-making process. This thesis specifically proposes to focus on the motives for punishment as potential explanatory variables for the impact of expertise on sentencing in France. The research programme is divided in two axes. The first two studies (axe 1) deal with the role of the motives for punishment in taking into account expert information relating to altered mental state (study 1) or risk of recidivism (study 2) when sentencing. The third study (axe 2) examines the impact of criminal records and expert information on the risk of recidivism on sentencing. In general, the results of the thesis highlight the need to take into account interindividual variability in the study of the impact of expertise on judicial judgments. More specifically, the results suggest that the use of expert information when assigning a sentence to the perpetrator of a crime depends on the purposes that individuals associate with the sentence.
Cet article vise à présenter les résultats d’une recherche qualitative conduite auprès de 10 jeunes placés sous la Loi sur le système de justice pénale pour les adolescents (LSJPA) au Québec. ...L’approche de la justice interactionnelle a permis d’explorer comment ces jeunes perçoivent leurs interactions avec les juges durant les audiences ainsi que les implications de ces interactions dans leur engagement dans leur propre processus de rétablissement. Les résultats mettent en évidence l’importance de la préparation de ces jeunes à l’audience, de la conciliation du juge dans le processus décisionnel ainsi que de la création d’un espace d’échanges avec ces jeunes comme levier de leur participation. La création d’une alliance relationnelle avec ces jeunes favorise une continuité et une stabilité de jugement, conditions essentielles pour instaurer une relation de confiance avec ces jeunes et leur permettre de s’engager dans leur propre processus de (ré)intégration sociocommunautaire. Enfin, cette recherche invite à poursuivre les réflexions autour de la perception du sentiment de justice des jeunes en contexte judiciaire et à étayer davantage les recherches conduites à ce sujet dans le champ de justice juvénile.
Purpose>This paper is the result of a collaboration and sharing of experiences of two postdoctoral researchers. The purpose of this paper is to put these experiences into perspective by ...cross-referencing our respective personal narratives with an analysis of the existing literature on the postdoctoral experience in the social sciences.Design/methodology/approach>The authors conducted a non-exhaustive systematic literature review using the database PsycInfo and the multidisciplinary Web of Science Catalogue database to find relevant articles published from 2000 to today. Of the 946 articles identified from the database, only 12 were included in the literature review. The authors also included four articles identified from other sources, such as Google Scholar. Secondly, the authors used a method inspired by reflexive personal narrative writing, which allowed us to share our postdoctoral experience and examine how it compares or complements the existing literature on postdoctoral experience in the social sciences.Findings>The literature highlights three significant criteria that play a major role in the postdoctoral experience across disciplines: professional identity, work–life balance and relationship with supervisor. While the majority of the current literature seems to highlight the importance of career prospects in the daily lives of postdoctoral researchers, the other two aspects seem to be somewhat less explored. However, personal factors as well as the relationship with the supervisor appear to be of major importance in the search for work–life balance, feelings of competency and overall satisfaction among postdoctoral researchers.Research limitations/implications>At the theoretical level, this paper allows a better understanding of the experiences of postdoctoral students in the social sciences, which seem to be less documented than those in scientific fields (e.g., Science, technology, engineering and mathematics postdoctoral fellow).Practical implications>On a practical level, it constitutes a tool for reflection for postdoctoral researchers in the social sciences as well as for academic actors working to support and develop the well-being of these researchers (e.g. teachers, supervisors, administrators), all with the aim of optimising academic practices.Originality/value>These results are discussed with respect to the specificity that our subjective personal narratives can offer to understand postdoctoral experiences, particularly in the social sciences, and thus offer reflections on ways to attend to individual psychosocial and relational needs that can foster an improved personal and professional training.
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