ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FOUR SUBJECTS READ DESCRIPTIONS OF FICTITIOUS CRIMINAL CASES AND THEN ASSIGNED PUNISHMENT TO THE DEFENDANT. THERE WERE EIGHT DIFFERENT CASES WHICH VARIED ALONG THREE DIMENSIONS- SEVERITY OF CRIME, RESPONSIBILITY OF THE DEFENDANT, AND FATE OF THE DEFENDANT'S ACCOMPLICE. AS PREDICTED, A MAIN EFFECT FOR THE FATE OF ACCOMPLICE WAS FOUND, SUCH THAT SUBJECTS TENDED TO GIVE LESS PUNISHMENT TO THE DEFENDANT WHEN THE ACCOMPLICE ESCAPED. NO SUPPORT WAS FOUND FOR AN ALTERNATIVE HYPOTHESIS, WHICH PROPOSED THAT THE EFFECT OF THE ACCOMPLICE'S ESCAPE ON THE PUNISHMENT ASSIGNED WOULD DEPEND ON THE SEVERITY OF THE CRIME. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)