@article{thorulCanSeeYour2026,

title = {‘I can see your pain, but I don't want to help you’: How observers react to the pain of individuals charged with violent crimes},

author = {S. K. Thorul and C. Côté-Lussier and C. Blais and D. Fiset and I. Boutet},

url = {https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105038427238?origin=resultslist},

doi = {10.1080/1068316X.2026.2667211},

issn = {1068316X (ISSN)},

year  = {2026},

date = {2026-01-01},

journal = {Psychology, Crime and Law},

publisher = {Routledge},

abstract = {Objectives: We investigated how the psychosocial components of criminality stigma can influence the reactions to the pain of individuals framed as violent criminals. Methods: Undergraduate students (N = 487) were randomly divided into three groups. Groups viewed models and read scenarios describing either models’ criminal behaviour, neutral behaviour or just saw models’ initials. Participants rated models on various components of stigma (valence, trust, threat, social status). Their reactions to the pain expressed by these models were measured (willingness to help, perception of pain signals, recommended medication). Results: Participants in the criminal condition perceived models as having a lower social status, which was associated with evaluations of models being lower in trustworthiness, lower in valence, and higher in threateningness. Participants were also less willing to help alleviate models’ pain, despite accurately estimating it. Crucially, the relationship between violent crime exposure and willingness to help was mediated by the link between lower social status and decreased likability. Conclusion: These findings reveal psychosocial mechanisms that may contribute to healthcare inequities experienced by individuals with a history of criminality. Future research could explore these results in more ecologically valid settings. © 2026 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.},

keywords = {Criminality stigma, healthcare and incarceration, pain estimation, social status, willingness to help},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}