INTEGRATION OF CERTAINTY, SEVERITY, AND CELERITY INFORMATION IN JUDGED DETERRENCE VALUE - FURTHER EVIDENCE AND METHODOLOGICAL EQUIVALENCE

The purposes of these studies were (a) to establish on a general basis whether 3 time-honored manipulable components of punishment combine a dditively, or multiplicatively in determining the judged deterrence va lue of a sanction, and (b) to explore the equivalence in principle of two mutually exclusive experimental designs. Study 1 used a repeated m easures design whereas main and interactive effects of certainty and s everity were substantial and appeared to follow a multiplying rule, ce lerity effects were very small and local. Studies 2a and 3 used indepe ndent groups and established that the results of Study 1 were not mere ly an arbitrary product of the method. The discussion addresses the mi nimal effects of celerity, the interaction between certainty and sever ity, and the theoretical implications of choice of method.