RT Article
T1 To tip off or not? Predicting gatekeepers’ reporting intentions of a deviant close-other through desirability and feasibility
JF Psychology, crime & law
VO 27
IS 9
SP 890
OP 913
A1 Hou, Minzheng
A2 Jia, Lile
A2 Tan, Jethro
LA English
YR 2021
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1772238244
AB Gatekeepers’ tipping-off serves as a crucial first line of defense in safeguarding individuals and society from emerging, severe deviant behaviors. The present research provides a theoretically driven, quantitative approach in examining a gatekeeper’s decision to tip-off a deviant close-other to the authorities. We draw inspiration from motivation science and propose a dual-factor model with desirability and feasibility forming two distinct mediating pathways through which a range of personal and situational factors predict gatekeepers’ reporting intentions. In four studies (N = 1142), we demonstrate the robustness and generalizability of the model across diverse deviant behaviors (racial prejudice, addictive gambling and violent extremism) and populations (Asians vs. Americans). We also provide evidence of the theoretical utility of the model in (1) differentiating complex motives underlying gatekeepers’ reporting, (2) arbitrating competing theoretical accounts of reporting and (3) demonstrating a synergistic interaction between desirability and feasibility. The present research underscores the value of applying a motivation science perspective to enhance understanding of gatekeepers’ decision-making process and offers empirically based suggestions for designing relevant crime-reporting interventions.
K1 Social cognition
K1 Motivation
K1 desirability and feasibility
K1 Deviant behavior
K1 Tip-off
DO 10.1080/1068316X.2020.1863404