Criminal=> Psychology + the courtroom

Question 1

Core Study=> Dixon et al

The Role of Accent + Context in Perceptions of Guilt

Answer 1

Test hypothesis that Brummie accented suspect would relieve a higher rating of guilt than a suspect with a standard accent. See if race/type of crime would make any difference to how Brummie/standard speaking suspect was judged

• Brummie-accent suspect VS standard accent suspect
• Black VS white suspect
• Blue collar VS white collar crime

Participants=

• Psy department at University college Worcester
• White undergraduate students=> participants for course requirement
• Participants who grew up in Birmingham were excluded = wouldn’t have same biases against accent

Procedure=

• Listened to 2 min recorded conversation based of an interview
• Suspect= natural core switches= could speak in a Brummie accent or standard accent
• Police officer interrogated suspect + he was pleading innocence
• Different crimes= armed robbery/cheque fraud
• Different race= black/white=> was altered in description of suspect in script

Results=

• Significant effect of suspects accent
• Brummie accent suspect= higher rating on guilt that standard accent suspect
• Brummie accented, black suspect + blue collar crime condition= highest guilt rating

Question 2

Penrod + Cutler=> witness confidence

Answer 2

Mock trial method= man was suspected of robbery

• Jurors= made up of students + experienced jurors
• Juror watched witness give evidence about suspect
• 1 condition= 80% confines she could identify suspect
• Other condition= 100% confident she could identify suspect
• 80% confidence= 60% guilty verdicts
• 100% confidence= 67% guilty verdicts

Question 3

Castellow=> attractiveness

Answer 3

The halo effect= people tend to believe people who are more attractive + have more positive qualities

• Female receptionist accuses male employer of sexual harassment=> mock juror experiment
• Participants show photos of defendant (employer) + plaintiff (receptionist)= asked to decide verdict
• Unattractive defendant + attractive plaintiff= 83%
• Attractive defendant + attractive plaintif= 83% thought he was guilty
• Attractive defendant + unattractive plantif= 41% thought he was guilty

Question 4

Pennington + Hastie=> story order

Answer 4

Primary + recency effects= remembering the first + last pieces of information more
-Witness order= presenting best witnesses first + last
-Story order= presenting evidence in sequence they occurred
Story order is more persuasive than witness order

Question 5

Broeder=> inadmissible evidence

Answer 5

Inadmissible evidence= brought up in court + judge should tell jury to disregard information
-Students in a mock trial listened to tapes about case of women who was injured by a car driven by a careless Male driver

Group 1= Told male had insurance
Group 2= Told male had insurance but judge told them to disregard information

When told to disregard that driver had insurance= victim was awarded by more money compared to 1st group

-People don’t like being told what to do + will resist rules to assert freedom