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Is a ‘Bad Individual’ more Condemnable than Several ‘Bad Individuals’? Examining the Scope-severity Paradox

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Listed:
  • Grolleau Gilles

    (CEREN EA 7477, Burgundy School of Business, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon,France)

  • Ibanez Lisette

    (CEE-M, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INRAE, Supagro, Montpellier, France)

  • Mzoughi Naoufel

    (Ecodeveloppement, INRAE, Avignon84000, France)

Abstract

Previous literature found empirical evidence to the scope-severity paradox (SSP), corresponding to situations where the perceived harm of a wrongdoing or crime decreases with the number of victims. We examine this phenomenon for the perpetrators’ side. Using a survey experiment, we examine whether increasing the number of perpetrators of a crime, namely a fraud, decreases its perceived severity (and subsequent punishment) at the individual level. Two scenarios are examined corresponding to two kinds of fraud: a fraud committed by a financial adviser against his/her own employer (scenario 1) and a tax evasion by an executive (scenario 2). Overall, our results do not offer a clear-cut support for the scope-severity paradox for the perpetrators’ side, even if some secondary results can be indicative of a possible SSP in some circumstances. More precisely, in the case of a financial fraud, the stated severity increases when the number of perpetrators is low. We discuss the implications of our results and raise important issues for future research.

Suggested Citation

  • Grolleau Gilles & Ibanez Lisette & Mzoughi Naoufel, 2020. "Is a ‘Bad Individual’ more Condemnable than Several ‘Bad Individuals’? Examining the Scope-severity Paradox," Review of Law & Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 16(3), pages 1-18, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:rlecon:v:16:y:2020:i:3:p:18:n:6
    DOI: 10.1515/rle-2019-0017
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    crime; identifiability bias; punishment; scope-severity paradox; wrongdoing;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making

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