TY - JOUR PY - 2010// TI - How Do We Assign Punishment? The Impact of Minimal and Maximal Standards on the Evaluation of Deviants JO - Personality and social psychology bulletin A1 - Kessler, Thomas A1 - Neumann, J A1 - Mummendey, A A1 - Berthold, Anne A1 - Schubert, Thomas A1 - Waldzus, Sven SP - 1213 EP - 1224 VL - 36 IS - 9 N2 - To explain the determinants of negative behavior toward deviants (e.g., punishment), this article examines how people evaluate others on the basis of two types of standards: minimal and maximal. Minimal standards focus on an absolute cutoff point for appropriate behavior; accordingly, the evaluation of others varies dichotomously between acceptable or unacceptable. Maximal standards focus on the degree of deviation from that standard; accordingly, the evaluation of others varies gradually from positive to less positive. This framework leads to the prediction that violation of minimal standards should elicit punishment regardless of the degree of deviation, whereas punishment in response to violations of maximal standards should depend on the degree of deviation. Four studies assessed or manipulated the type of standard and degree of deviation displayed by a target. Results consistently showed the expected interaction between type of standard (minimal and maximal) and degree of deviation on punishment behavior.

LA - SN - 0146-1672 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0146167210380603 ID - ref1 ER -