Pragmatic American: Attributions of Crime and the Hydraulic Relation Hypothesis

• NCJ Number: 230540
• Journal: Justice Quarterly Volume: 27 Issue: 3 Dated: June 2010 Pages: 431-457
• Author(s): James D. Unnever; John K. Cochran; Francis T. Cullen; Brandon K. Applegate
• Date Published: June 2010
• Length: 27 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Investigating whether Americans recognize crime as a multifaceted problem that dictates complex solutions, this study examined attribution theory and its argument that a "hydraulic relation" exists between dispositional and situational attribution styles and crime.

Abstract

Attribution theory argues that a "hydraulic relation" exists between dispositional and situational attribution styles, causing people to endorse one style at the expense of the other. That is, attribution theorists predict that there should be a strong negative relationship between attribution styles. The authors test this prediction using data collected in Hillsborough County (Tampa), Florida, and two national polls. Their investigation shows that, rather than a bifurcated view of crime causation, Americans manifest a complex attributional style that views crime emerging from multiple sources. The study discusses how these findings reveal that the American public tends to be not ideological but pragmatic in its view of crime causation and, ultimately, in the crime control policies it is willing to endorse. Tables, figures, and references (Published Abstract)