Abstract:

P. Moliner & M. Gutermann (2004).
Dynamique des descriptions et des explications dans une
representation sociale.
Papers on Social Representations, 13, pages 2.1-2.12
[http://www.psr.jku.at/]

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.