A new study published in Political Psychology questions a long-standing belief in political psychology: that people with authoritarian tendencies are more likely to support harsh punishments for criminal offenders. Drawing on data from six European countries, researchers found that right-wing authoritarianism and social dominance orientation—two traits commonly used to explain punitive attitudes—did not predict sentencing preferences in the way previous studies have suggested. Instead, punishment preferences were more diverse and complex, with patterns that contradict the dominant theories in the field. For decades, researchers have explored why some people are more punitive than others. A popular explanation stems from political psychology and centers on two personality traits: right-wing authoritarianism and social dominance orientation. Right-wing authoritarianism describes a personality profile defined by a strong preference for obedience to authority, adherence to traditional social norms, and a willingness to aggress against those who challenge them. It is typically measured using items related to submission, conventionalism, and aggression. People high in this trait are thought to value social cohesion and fear disruption to the social order. Social dominance …