Criminal Psychology - Topic 4: Juries

Question 1

Background - Stewart

What did he do? (3)
Results (3)

Answer 1

He observed 60 real life trials in Pennsylvania, USA

• Observers rated the defendants on a range of scales; physical attractiveness, neatness, cleanliness and quality of dress.
• these four items were combined to produce a score for attractiveness.

Results:

• The four-item Attractiveness Index correlated significantly and negatively with severity of punishment.
• No significant correlation was found between race and attractiveness index.
• Non-whites, as compared to whites, were more conviction prone, more likely to be charged with violent crimes, and, once convicted, more likely to receive a sentence

Question 2

Key Research - Dixon (Aim, Method, Sample, Procedure, Results)

Answer 2

Aim:

• investigated the effects of regional accent, race and crime type on attributions of guilt.

Method:

• They used a lab experiment at the University of Worchester

Sample:

• 119 white undergraduate psychology students both male and female with a mean age of 25.

Procedure:

• The participants listened to a 2 minute recorded conversation between a police officer and a young male suspect pleading innocence.
• The suspect had either a standard accent or a Brummie accent, from Birmingham. They also manipulated whether they committed a blue collar crime, armed robbery or white collar crime, cheque fraud.
• The final manipulation was if the transcript revealed the suspect was black or white.
• After listening the participants had to rate the suspect’s guilt on a 7 point rating scale from innocent to guilty. They also rated suspects on their language.

Results:

• They found the Brummie suspect was rated guiltier.
• They also found an interaction between the Brummie accent, black suspect and blue collar crime with significantly higher guilt findings for this combinations

Question 3

Application

Answer 3

1. Concealing characteristics of witnesses and/or defendants that could affect jurors
2. Juries could also be given training

These things can affect judgement:

• Evidence
• Accent
• Race
• Attractiveness
• Crime type –blue/white collar
• Appearance – tattoos, piercings