SOCUP -So(ciety)/Cu(lture)/P(olitics)-

Brooke Haugen's Undergraduate Research!

Our undergraduate student and great friend, Brooke Haugen, surveyed undergraduate students in my Introduction to Sociology course in Fall 2004. She has completed her study and presented her work wonderfully at the Sociology Research Institute that the Departmeng of Sociology, University of Minnesota held in April 2005.

Brooke's presentation slide, notes, and survey questionnair are linked below. If you are interested to learn more about her research, please contact me (shin104@umn.edu) with Brooke's consent I will be happy to provide you more information on this project.

This study investigates how people make judgements about deviant acts (physical assault, robbery, and theft) and the culpability and responsibility of offenders and victims involved. In particular, this research attempts to ascertain how the use of alcohol by the offender and/or victim influences those judgements. A random sample of 89 University of Minnesota students enrolled in Introduction to Sociology participated in a survey. The survey consisted of a collection of vignettes portraying alcohol use in the situations of the deviant acts. Each vignette manipulated intoxication of the offender and/or victim in each situation using between-subjects experimental designs. I compared the results between participants who drank more regularly with those who drank seldom, and found some significant difference in the two groups. I also analyzed whether or not intoxication of the offender and/or victim influenced these judgements, and found statistically significant differences in participants’ responses in different situations. I also found significant differences when comparing the three types of crimes with each other and each dependent variable. People’s judgements on the alcohol intoxication of an offender and/or victim with certain deviant behaviors are an important social issue, because of the practical legal implications. These perceptions may be of everyday people or those of a jury. The legal system depends heavily on whether intoxication precludes criminal intentions in determining guilt and punishment (Wild et al, 1998).

Brooke’sPresentationSlide(pdf)

Brooke’sSurveyQuestionnaire(pdf)

Brooke’sPresentationNotes(pdf)