An exploration of third parties’ preference for compensation over punishment: Six experimental demonstrations

Janne Van Doorn; Marcel Zeelenberg; Seger Breugelmans

doi:10.1007/s11238-018-9665-9

An exploration of third parties’ preference for compensation over punishment: Six experimental demonstrations

Janne Van Doorn^*, Marcel Zeelenberg, Seger Breugelmans

^*Corresponding author for this work

Social Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

15 Citations (Scopus)

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Abstract

Research suggests that to restore equity, third parties prefer compensation of a victim over the punishment of a perpetrator. It remains unclear, however, whether this preference for compensation is stable or specific to certain situations. In six exper- imental studies, we find that adjustments in the characteristics of the situation or in the available behavioral options hardly modify the preference of compensation over punishment. This preference for compensation was found even in cases where pun- ishment might refrain a perpetrator from acting unfairly again in the future, and even when punishment has a greater impact in restoring equity than compensation does. Thus, the preference of compensation over punishment appears to be quite robust. Implications and ideas for future research are discussed.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	333-351
Journal	Theory and Decision
Volume	85
Issue number	3/4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s11238-018-9665-9
Publication status	Published - 2018

Keywords

Third party
Preference
Compensation
Punishment
Equity
Injustice
PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTANCE
ALTRUISTIC PUNISHMENT
3RD-PARTY PUNISHMENT
JUSTICE SENSITIVITY
SOCIAL PREFERENCES
COSTLY PUNISHMENT
MECHANICAL TURK
MORAL EMOTIONS
FAIRNESS
BEHAVIOR

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title = "An exploration of third parties{\textquoteright} preference for compensation over punishment: Six experimental demonstrations",

abstract = "Research suggests that to restore equity, third parties prefer compensation of a victim over the punishment of a perpetrator. It remains unclear, however, whether this preference for compensation is stable or specific to certain situations. In six exper- imental studies, we find that adjustments in the characteristics of the situation or in the available behavioral options hardly modify the preference of compensation over punishment. This preference for compensation was found even in cases where pun- ishment might refrain a perpetrator from acting unfairly again in the future, and even when punishment has a greater impact in restoring equity than compensation does. Thus, the preference of compensation over punishment appears to be quite robust. Implications and ideas for future research are discussed.",

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AB - Research suggests that to restore equity, third parties prefer compensation of a victim over the punishment of a perpetrator. It remains unclear, however, whether this preference for compensation is stable or specific to certain situations. In six exper- imental studies, we find that adjustments in the characteristics of the situation or in the available behavioral options hardly modify the preference of compensation over punishment. This preference for compensation was found even in cases where pun- ishment might refrain a perpetrator from acting unfairly again in the future, and even when punishment has a greater impact in restoring equity than compensation does. Thus, the preference of compensation over punishment appears to be quite robust. Implications and ideas for future research are discussed.

KW - Third party

KW - Preference

KW - Compensation

KW - Punishment

KW - Equity

KW - Injustice

KW - PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTANCE

KW - ALTRUISTIC PUNISHMENT

KW - 3RD-PARTY PUNISHMENT

KW - JUSTICE SENSITIVITY

KW - SOCIAL PREFERENCES

KW - COSTLY PUNISHMENT

KW - MECHANICAL TURK

KW - MORAL EMOTIONS

KW - FAIRNESS

KW - BEHAVIOR

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JO - Theory and Decision

JF - Theory and Decision

IS - 3/4

ER -

An exploration of third parties’ preference for compensation over punishment: Six experimental demonstrations

Abstract

Keywords

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