שיפוט ואמונה בחשוד בעבירה על בסיס המודל הסיני

As onlookers in an incident where one person harms another person, we generally sympathize with the victim. However, when the offender is a famous person and the victim is anonymous, we sometimes tend to sympathize with the perpetrator. The aim of the present study was to offer a mechanism whereby the onlooker considers the personal characteristics of the offender in a way that may present him or her either as the perpetrator, or as a victim of circumstances. A list of personal characteristics that make up the A-CHINESE model - neuroticism, impulsivity, extroversion, excitement-seeking, conscientiousness, self-discipline, agreeableness, honesty and humility - was prepared. The sample consisted of 303 men and women, aged 20-70 years, who filled out an online questionnaire on judgment of and belief in a suspect of an offence. Data analysis showed that when a person is perceived as the perpetrator of the offence, he or she is considered to possess high levels of neuroticism, excitement-seeking, impulsivity and extroversion; and low levels of conscientiousness, honesty, humility, self-discipline and agreeableness. The theoretical and applied implications of the findings are discussed.