Juror Decisions

Question 1

Systematic Processing

Answer 1

Slow, careful processing of information. Should use this when on a jury.

Question 2

Heuristic Processing

Answer 2

Fast, automatic processing of information. Often used due to complexity of court processes, ambiguity of evidence and lack of motivation to use systematic processing.

Question 3

Evidence Based Factors Influencing Juror Decisions

Answer 3

Eyewitness - confidence will sway jury regardless of accuracy.
Confession - powerful heuristic that sways jury even if forced or false
Scientific - weak effect but jury doesn’t take probability into account enough
Expert - very convincing. Validity of evidence is irrelevant unless juror is high need-for-cognition.

Question 4

Non-evidence Based Factors Influencing Juror Decisions

Answer 4

Race - more lenient if defendant is own race, unless crime was very bad, them harsher to distance self
Attractiveness - more attractive defendants get a more lenient outcome than unattractive defendants
SES - Mixed results, but lower SES tend to get harsher outcome (depending on crime).

Question 5

Requirements of the Jury

Answer 5

Consider evidence and reach an verdict in light of the law

Question 6

Judicial Instructions

Answer 6

Cover relevant points of law and guide jury decision making. Most jurors say they understand instructions, but very few actually do.

Question 7

Assessing Comprehension of Judicial Instructions

Answer 7

Ask jurors (most will say yes)
Recall or recognition tests (can inflate confidence of understanding)
Paraphrase instructions
Apply instructions to another case.

Question 8

Improving Instruction Comprehension

Answer 8

Simplifying instructions - can only simplify so much, doesn’t work.
Note taking - jurors like to but doesn’t help
Pre-Instruction - Mixed results, but helps build a framework to make sense of evidence
Written Instructions - jurors prefer but little evidence
Flow Charts - Mixed results depending on case complexity
Computer Animation - little evidence but so far promising.

Question 9

Stages of Deliberation

Answer 9

(1) Orientation - select foreman, outline procedure (evidence based or verdict based)
(2) Conflict - try to persuade others to change opinion, group polarisation, normative or informational change. Majority most likely to win unless minority is confident and consistent.
(3) Reconciliation - ensure all jurors are happy with decision and present it to judge.