How Does Gerber's 1994 Study Explain What Is Perceived by Some

question 6

Multiple Choice

How does Gerber's 1994 study explain what is perceived by some to be unusually high sentences for white-collar offenders?

• A) White-collar offenders are sentenced according to federal guidelines.
• B) A majority of white-collar offenders make it through the criminal justice process because there is substantial evidence against them, which leads to harsher sentences.
• C) Only a small proportion of offenders receive extremely large prison sentences, raising the average dramatically and giving the perception that all white-collar offenders have particularly long sentences.
• D) There are rarely high sentences for white-collar offenders who commit serious crimes when compared to conventional criminals.

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Definitions:

Leadership Categorization Theory

A theory suggesting that people evaluate leaders based on how closely the leaders’ attributes match stereotypical or prototype attributes of leaders.

Big Five Dimensions

A model describing human personality through five broad traits: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.

Extraversion

A personality trait marked by an orientation towards external activities and high levels of social engagement.

Conscientiousness

A personality trait characterized by thoroughness, efficiency, and organization, often associated with high levels of responsibility and self-discipline.