Dynamique des descriptions et des explications dans une representation sociale

Abstract

In this research, interest lies in the representation of the deviating person among members of Municipal councils of Prevention of the Delinquency. 120 Subjects are distributed in 3 subgroups according to their frequency of contact with deviating persons. Results show that for the subjects with least contacts, representation mainly takes a descriptive role whereas it rather plays an explanatory role to those that have most contacts with deviating persons. These results suggest a possible relation between descriptive or explicative orientation of a social representation and nearness among individuals and the object of representation.