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Juror Decision Making: The Importance of Evidence

Juror Decision Making: The Importance of Evidence Much of the research on juror decision making is concerned with whether jurors are swayed by irrelevant—or extralegal—issues in their judgments of defendants. Such studies examine whether jurors’ attitudes and victims’ and defendants’ characteristics have a measurable impact on these decisions. Yet, in the typical study, evidential issues are either poorly measured or ignored, hence the effects of extralegal issues may be exaggerated. Moreover, jury simulations are often chosen to study these questions despite critics’ concerns about the generalizability of the results. The present study uses data gathered from actual jurors to assess whether the emphasis on juror competence is justified. The results indicate that these jurors’ decisions are dominated by evidential issues, particularly evidence concerning the use of force and physical evidence. Jurors were considerably less responsive to characteristics of victims and defendants, although some of these factors significantly affected their decisions. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Law and Human Behavior American Psychological Association

Juror Decision Making: The Importance of Evidence

Law and Human Behavior , Volume 11 (1): 17 – Mar 1, 1987

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Publisher
American Psychological Association
Copyright
Copyright © 1987 American Psychological Association
ISSN
0147-7307
eISSN
1573-661X
DOI
10.1007/BF01044835
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Much of the research on juror decision making is concerned with whether jurors are swayed by irrelevant—or extralegal—issues in their judgments of defendants. Such studies examine whether jurors’ attitudes and victims’ and defendants’ characteristics have a measurable impact on these decisions. Yet, in the typical study, evidential issues are either poorly measured or ignored, hence the effects of extralegal issues may be exaggerated. Moreover, jury simulations are often chosen to study these questions despite critics’ concerns about the generalizability of the results. The present study uses data gathered from actual jurors to assess whether the emphasis on juror competence is justified. The results indicate that these jurors’ decisions are dominated by evidential issues, particularly evidence concerning the use of force and physical evidence. Jurors were considerably less responsive to characteristics of victims and defendants, although some of these factors significantly affected their decisions.

Journal

Law and Human BehaviorAmerican Psychological Association

Published: Mar 1, 1987

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