Believe in Pure Evil? You're More Likely To Support Death Penalty For Boston Marathon Massacre Killer
Makes sense. Those who believe in pure evil support harsher criminal punishment, according to a new study as reported at newswise.com. Approximately 200 participants were given a summary of a case in which a murderer confessed to his crime. Researchers then asked each participant about his or her support for different types of sentences, such as jail time with community service, jail time with the opportunity for parole, jail time without the possibility for parole and other options. "We found that as people's beliefs in pure evil increased, they were more likely to support sentences like life in prison without parole and even the death penalty," Kansas State University Donald Saucier, associate professor of psychological sciences, says. "We found that this actually happened through our participants perceiving the murderer as a demon and feeling that there was some need for retribution for the murder committed." Many people in my Connecticut hom...