‘I can see your pain, but I don't want to help you’
How observers react to the pain of individuals charged with violent crimes
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22420403 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sahil K Thorul (University of Ottawa), Carolyn Côté-Lussier (0000-0002-4475-4926, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique), Christian Blais (0000-0001-6055-8485, Université du Québec en Outaouais), Caroline Blais (0000-0002-3181-6622, Université du Québec en Outaouais), Daniel Fiset (0000-0003-2111-3269, Université du Québec en Outaouais), Isabelle Boutet (0000-0002-1943-0970, University of Ottawa, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-24 |
| Publication date | 2026-05-12 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Psychology, Crime & Law (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1068-316X • E-ISSN: 1477-2744 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/1068316x.2026.2667211 |
| OpenAlex | W7160958084 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 53 |
Objectives We investigated how the psychosocial components of criminality stigma can influence the reactions to the pain of individuals framed as violent criminals.Methods Undergraduate students (N = 487) were randomly divided into three groups. Groups viewed models and read scenarios describing either models’ criminal behaviour, neutral behaviour or just saw models’ initials. Participants rated models on various components of stigma (valence, trust, threat, social status). Their reactions to the pain expressed by these models were measured (willingness to help, perception of pain signals, recommended medication).Results Participants in the criminal condition perceived models as having a lower social status, which was associated with evaluations of models being lower in trustworthiness, lower in valence, and higher in threateningness. Participants were also less willing to help alleviate models’ pain, despite accurately estimating it. Crucially, the relationship between violent crime exposure and willingness to help was mediated by the link between lower social status and decreased likability.Conclusion These findings reveal psychosocial mechanisms that may contribute to healthcare inequities experienced by individuals with a history of criminality. Future research could explore these results in more ecologically valid settings.
Poison control · Suicide prevention · Deception detection and forensic psychology · Forgiveness and Related Behaviors · Free Will and Agency · Human Factors and Ergonomics
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |