The present article is a follow-up of Thurstone's study, published 50 yr. ago, concerning the perceived seriousness of crimes. Comparisons were also made with Coomb's follow-up study from the mid-sixties. The continuing trend toward the judgment of sex offenses as less serious and offenses against the person as more serious was observed. The obtained scale also showed heightened sensitivity of subjects to offenses such as burglary, libel, counterfeiting, and forgery, reflecting the prevailing public opinion during the political trials of the mid-seventies.
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