Juries Study - Ruva & McEvoy

Question 1

Purpose

Answer 1

Examine the effect of pretrial publicity (PTP) on jurors’ verdicts, memory, and perceptions of defendant’s credibility

Question 2

Hypothesis on Negative Pretrial Publicity (PTP)

Answer 2

• More guilty verdicts and higher guilt rates
• Perceive defendant as less credible
• More misattribution of source of negative PTP information to trial

Question 3

Hypotheses on Positive Pretrial Publicity (PTP)

Answer 3

• Fewer guilty verdicts and lower guilty ratings
• Perceive defendant as more credible
• More misattribution of source of positive PTP information to trial

Question 4

Participants

Answer 4

159 university students (41 men, 118 women)

Question 5

Design

Answer 5

-Randomly assigned conditions
~PTP negative
~-PTP positive
~no PTP

Question 6

Trial Stimuli

Answer 6

• Videotape of real criminal trial (New Jeersey v. Bias)
• Defendant pleads not guilt to killing his wife
• Prior research and pilot testing indicate trial was ambiguous as to guilt

Question 7

Pretrial Publicity Stimuli

Answer 7

• News articles modified from real PTP from the trial
• Negative PTP - anti-defendant information
• Positive PTP - pro-defendant information
• No PTP - real news articles involving an unrelated crime

Question 8

Source-Monitoring Test

Answer 8

-Indicated whether information had been presented 
~Only in the trial
~Only in the article 
~Both in the trial and articles 
~Never (new item)

Question 9

Verdict and Guilt Ratings

Answer 9

-Verdict = guilty or not guilty
-Guilt Rating (7 point Likert scale)
~1=not guilty with complete confidence
~4=not sure of guilt/innocence
~7=guilty with complete confidence

Question 10

Procedure

Answer 10

-Phase 1: read news articles
-Phase 2: 5 days later, watched trial
~In immediate condition, completed all measure at that time
-Phase 3: 2 days later, completed all measures (delay condition only)