01/10/2025
By Tsvetina Kamenova

The College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Psychology, invites you to attend a Dissertation Proposal Defense by Tsvetina Kamenova on “Crime, Punishment and Redemption of Hate Crime Perpetrators: The Role of Gender, Religion and Race in Public Opinion.”

Doctoral Concentration: Applied Psychology & Prevention Science
Date: Jan. 30, 2025
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Health and Social Sciences Building (HSS) 331

Dissertation Chair: Dr. Yan Wang, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, UMass Lowell

Committee Members:
• Dr. Arie Perliger, Professor, School of Criminology and Justice Studies, UMass Lowell
• Dr. Jason Lawrence, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, UMass Lowell

Abstract:
Hate crimes are a serious issue affecting communities of people sharing demographic characteristics such as race, religion and gender. The people who perpetrate these crimes understandably produce punitive attitudes by the public. However, there is evidence to suggest that perpetrators are treated differently based on their demographic characteristics. Bias toward hate crime perpetrators can reinforce the very biases espoused by hate rhetoric and may even contribute to the cycle of violence that hate crimes aim to perpetuate. This dissertation explores public perceptions of hate crime perpetrators, focusing on how gender, race and religion influence judgments of guilt, punishment and redeemability. Using an experimental vignette design involving a foiled bombing at an LGBTQ+ youth center, the study examines stereotypes related to hate crime and terrorism charges, an under-explored area in experimental research.