According to a study’s findings, which were published in the ‘Journal of Experimental Social Psychology,’ when people learn that someone has survived difficulty or suffering early in life, such as abuse and neglect as a kid, they are more likely to applaud them for their good deeds as an adult. The study was conducted by a team of researchers led by Philip Robbins from the University of Missouri.
These results, according to Robbins, an associate professor and head of the Department of Philosophy at the MU College of Arts and Science, can assist to close a knowledge gap seen in both psychology and philosophy, two fields that examine human behaviour.
Historically, psychology and philosophy have placed a greater emphasis on the ‘dark’ side of human behaviour, such as moral wrongdoing, and less emphasis on researching the ‘light’ side of human conduct, such as acts of altruism, according to Robbins, the project’s lead investigator.
The study, which relied on survey data from 974 respondents, provides an improved understanding of a relatively neglected facet of human psychology, the human mind, and the human condition, which concerns how people process and respond to positive behaviours such as giving praise.
Based on the researchers’ previous work, the study investigates whether adults who have committed a crime are perceived as less culpable and deserve less punishment when told that they suffered serious harm as children.
According to Robbins, the team’s results are also significant when considering criminal sentences, particularly in capital cases. Defence counsel frequently offers evidence of clients’ suffering and trauma in their early years, and prior and current studies by the authors support this approach. He goes on to say that the findings speak to a larger issue regarding how people judge others without understanding who they truly are as persons since knowing what a person has gone through in life might change how we evaluate their good and negative acts.
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