HOW CRUEL IS A CAT PLAYING WITH A MOUSE - A STUDY OF PEOPLES ASSESSMENT OF CRUELTY

Samples of American and New Zealand university students rated 18 brief scenarios for their cruelty, the amount of suffering inflicted, the s uffering meant to be inflicted, and the pleasure felt by the actor. Bo th samples rated the two cruelest scenarios to be a sexual assault and a guard herding terrified prisoners to execution. Overall, scenarios which were rated as relatively cruel were those in which the victim su ffered more and in which the suffering was inflicted intentionally. Th e pleasure derived by the actor in inflicting the punishment was less clearly related to the rated cruelty of the act.