Factors affecting JDM

Question 1

What is a Jury?

Answer 1

The most serious criminal trials in the UK are conducted using a jury who have to decide the guilt or innocence of the defendant. They come to their conclusion based on evidence provided by the prosecution and defence, finding a guilty verdict based on their belief, beyond reasonable doubt.

Question 2

Why are mock juries used in the UK?

Answer 2

Because it is difficult to study jurors as they deliberate in secret and in some countries it is illegal to question jurors about their decisions either before or after an event.

Question 3

What are mock juries?

Answer 3

In the UK anyone over the age of 18 and has the right to vote can be voted for jury service.

Question 4

Why are jurors screened?

Answer 4

So that biased or unsuitable candidates can be eliminated.

Question 5

Why is the role of the jury very important?

Answer 5

A judge cannot decide is someone is guilty or not nor can they tell the jury what to decide, so this makes the judge rely entirely on the jury. This makes the jury very important.

Question 6

What is the trial?

Answer 6

The whole of the trial is a social situation which means that there are many social situations with formal and informal interactions involved. This means that there are many psychological processes at work at each stage, other than legal aspects of the trial.

Question 7

What factors affect JDM?

Answer 7

• Attractiveness
• Gender
• Race

Question 8

What other variables is this influenced by?

Answer 8

• Seriousness of the crime
• The victim
• Social class of the defendant

Question 9

How does attractiveness affect JDM?

Answer 9

The halo effect is a type of cognitive bias in which the overall impression of a person influences how we feel and think about his or her character. The overall impressions of a person impacts how you evaluate and judge them.

Question 10

What is the halo effect?

Answer 10

The tendency of people to rate attractive individuals more favourably for their personability traits and character than those who are less attractive.

Question 11

What are attractive people seen more as?

Answer 11

Intelligent, friendly and honest.

Question 12

What did Taylor and butcher find? (supporting evidence)

Answer 12

Conducted a mock trial with 96 participants where they were given a transcript of a mugging with an attached photo of an attractive individual. Ppts tended to rate the attractive ones as less guilty.

Question 13

Attractiveness means lighter sentences? (supporting)

Answer 13

Research has shown that stereotypes of an individual also influence the type of sentence a criminal will receive. Unattractive people are seen more likely to be criminals and so receive harsher sentencing, whereas an attractive person is less likely to be a criminal so receive a lighter sentence.

Question 14

Demand characteristics (weakness)

Answer 14

As research is done in a trial and people know that they are being studied, this means that demand characteristics are likely as they are acting in a way that they think is right because they want to please the experimenter. So therefore attractiveness may not affect JDM.

Question 15

How does gender affect JDM?

Answer 15

Nunez et al - Male and female defendants respond differently. Pre-conceived notions of traditional roles of males and females are a possible explanation for these findings.

Question 16

What gender is seen as more believable?

Answer 16

Females

Question 17

Why?

Answer 17

This is based on the fact that males commit more crimes and 95% of the prison population is male and therefore have high recidivism rates. Females are often mothers to their children which also makes them seem less likely to commit a crime as they have other responsibilities.

Question 18

How does race affect JDM?

Answer 18

There is a higher proportion of ethnic minorities in prison at around 15% compared to 8% of the UK general population. We have a stereotypical view that black men are more likely to commit crimes. Studies have found that white jurors are more likely to find a black defendant guilt compared to a white one. Black defendants also receive harsher sentences from white jurors.