Editorial: The threat of harsh punishment for a transgression usually decreases one' s tendency to feel guilt or shame for committing that transgression, and the tendency to feel guilt or shame for committing a transgression reduces a person' s tendency to commit transgressions
Thus, increasing the severity of the legal penalties for transgressions may amplify people' s tendency to ignore the welfare of others
The threat of harsh punishment deters people from committing transgressions only if this threat is at least sometimes carried out.