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Questions and Answers
What is typically the first stage of juror deliberation?
What is typically the first stage of juror deliberation?
Normative social influence refers to jurors being persuaded by the evidence provided by others.
Normative social influence refers to jurors being persuaded by the evidence provided by others.
False
What is the primary goal of evidence-driven deliberation?
What is the primary goal of evidence-driven deliberation?
To review evidence together until reaching a consensus.
During the _____ stage, jurors start trying to actively persuade one another.
During the _____ stage, jurors start trying to actively persuade one another.
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Match the type of deliberation with its description:
Match the type of deliberation with its description:
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What is one reason jurors may not comprehend legal instructions?
What is one reason jurors may not comprehend legal instructions?
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Simplified instructions are less comprehensible to jurors than complex instructions.
Simplified instructions are less comprehensible to jurors than complex instructions.
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What is jury nullification?
What is jury nullification?
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Jurors should be instructed before evidence to help them form a mental __________ for the case.
Jurors should be instructed before evidence to help them form a mental __________ for the case.
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Which of the following is a complex case that jurors may struggle to understand?
Which of the following is a complex case that jurors may struggle to understand?
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The inclusion of extralegal information can serve as valid evidence during a trial.
The inclusion of extralegal information can serve as valid evidence during a trial.
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Name one method to mitigate the cognitive load on jurors in complex cases.
Name one method to mitigate the cognitive load on jurors in complex cases.
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Match the following reasons against using juries with their descriptions:
Match the following reasons against using juries with their descriptions:
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What percentage of the US adult population is called for jury duty each year?
What percentage of the US adult population is called for jury duty each year?
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The Dual-Process Model emphasizes only unconscious thought processing.
The Dual-Process Model emphasizes only unconscious thought processing.
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What is the Story Model as proposed by Hastie and Pennington?
What is the Story Model as proposed by Hastie and Pennington?
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Approximately _____% of individuals called for jury duty actually serve on a jury.
Approximately _____% of individuals called for jury duty actually serve on a jury.
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Match the following concepts with their descriptions:
Match the following concepts with their descriptions:
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Which factor is considered the strongest predictor of jury verdicts?
Which factor is considered the strongest predictor of jury verdicts?
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Jurors are generally able to distinguish good research from flawed research when evaluating expert testimony.
Jurors are generally able to distinguish good research from flawed research when evaluating expert testimony.
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What happens to jurors' verdict inclinations as evidence is presented during a trial?
What happens to jurors' verdict inclinations as evidence is presented during a trial?
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Which of the following types of evidence is usually inadmissible in criminal trials due to its prejudicial nature?
Which of the following types of evidence is usually inadmissible in criminal trials due to its prejudicial nature?
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Positive character evidence increases the likelihood of conviction in criminal trials.
Positive character evidence increases the likelihood of conviction in criminal trials.
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What is the role of limiting instructions if a defendant testifies?
What is the role of limiting instructions if a defendant testifies?
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In civil trials, considerations of assigning damages often hinge on the severity of the __________.
In civil trials, considerations of assigning damages often hinge on the severity of the __________.
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Match the following types of extralegal information to their primary relevance in trials:
Match the following types of extralegal information to their primary relevance in trials:
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How do negative character traits affect juror decisions in a trial?
How do negative character traits affect juror decisions in a trial?
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Extralegal factors such as juror beliefs and attitudes can impact the outcome of both criminal and civil trials.
Extralegal factors such as juror beliefs and attitudes can impact the outcome of both criminal and civil trials.
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What is meant by 'defensive attribution' in the context of civil trials?
What is meant by 'defensive attribution' in the context of civil trials?
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Which of the following is a reason juror bias is considered inevitable?
Which of the following is a reason juror bias is considered inevitable?
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Reactance theory suggests that jurors can effectively disregard inadmissible evidence when instructed.
Reactance theory suggests that jurors can effectively disregard inadmissible evidence when instructed.
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What do jurors often take into account when assessing damages in a case?
What do jurors often take into account when assessing damages in a case?
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Juror predisposition to interpret information based on past experience is called __________.
Juror predisposition to interpret information based on past experience is called __________.
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Match the juror bias concepts with their definitions:
Match the juror bias concepts with their definitions:
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What is one key factor that can lead to less biased decisions during jury deliberations?
What is one key factor that can lead to less biased decisions during jury deliberations?
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Deliberation always leads to less biased decisions among jurors.
Deliberation always leads to less biased decisions among jurors.
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What happens to jurors when they try to suppress thoughts about inadmissible evidence?
What happens to jurors when they try to suppress thoughts about inadmissible evidence?
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Study Notes
Jurors and Juries
- Trial by jury is mentioned in both the main body of the US Constitution (Article 3) and the Bill of Rights (6th Amendment).
- Approximately 14.4% (37 million) of US adults are called for jury duty each year.
- Only about 29% of those called actually serve on a jury (approximately 11 million annually).
Psychological Study of Jurors
- Key questions about jurors include: how they reason, their competence, potential biases, and their deliberative processes.
How Jurors Think
- Cognitive-Experiential Self Theory is a dual-process model for processing information.
- Cognitive route involves active, deliberate, and effortful thinking.
- Experiential route involves unconscious and effortless thinking, often relying on emotions and intuition.
Reasoning Coherently
- Jurors form coherent representations of evidence to reach verdicts.
- At the start of a trial, jurors may have an overall idea of the "should be" verdict but lack a coherent understanding of the evidence.
- As evidence is presented, jurors' understanding of the verdict becomes more coherent.
The Story Model
- Jurors construct narratives (stories) to unify evidence.
- Jurors' stories incorporate three sources: presented evidence, personal experiences, and general knowledge about similar situations.
Are Jurors Competent?
- Research suggests evidentiary strength is a strong predictor of jury verdicts.
- Extralegal (non-legal) information can also influence decisions.
- Jurors struggle to distinguish strong from weak research.
- Jurors can be influenced by expert testimony, though it usually has a modest effect.
Do Jurors Understand Instructions?
- Jurors often struggle to comprehend complex or confusing legal instructions.
- Factors like complex language and confusing phrasing/logic can present problems.
- Jury instructions presented in simple words are easier to understand.
- Recency and primacy effects (how jurors remember and weigh information, respectively) affect comprehension.
- Jurors' understanding of evidence improves if they receive instructions before the evidence is presented.
Juror Willingness to Use Instructions
- Jury nullification is the ability of a jury to acquit a defendant despite evidence and instructions.
- Jurors may disregard instructions if they believe the law is unjust or the evidence is strong enough to override instructions.
Jurors and Complex Cases
- Complex cases involve multiple plaintiffs, defendants, or legal issues.
- Concerns about jurors understanding complicated evidence, multiple claims, and details in complex cases exist.
Should Jurors Be Used in Complex Cases?
- Concerns exist about jurors' ability to understand complex information
- providing aids, such as written summaries, to jury members might help.
- jury selection processes (voir dire) also impact ability to process complex cases.
Extralegal Factors
- Extralegal factors are non-legal considerations.
- Irrelevant information like defendant's background, appearance, or race, witness evidence (inadmissible or irrelevant), juror beliefs or attitudes (e.g., racism), and juror personal experience can affect verdicts.
Extralegal Information in Criminal Trials
- Prior-record evidence, character evidence, and propensity evidence can affect juror perceptions, even though such information can be highly prejudicial.
Influence of Prior Record
- Prior criminal records might bias jurors.
- While legally inadmissible in certain contexts, this evidence might be impactful for jurors.
- Limiting instructions might not be very effective.
Impact of Character Evidence
- Character evidence, like testimony describing a person's personality or reputation, can influence verdicts.
- Usually not a strong determinant of guilt or innocence.
- Positive character evidence can limit impact, but negative evidence significantly influences conviction likelihood.
Impact of Propensity Evidence
- Evidence about unrelated crimes or wrongdoings (propensity evidence) is typically not allowed.
- This type of evidence can powerfully affect juror decisions and increase the likelihood of verdicts.
Extralegal Information in Civil Trials
- Factors like injury severity and damages allocation can influence judgements in civil settings.
Extralegal Information and Civil Liability
- Juror perceptions of fault and liability are affected by factors outside the law's scope, such as feelings evoked by the evidence.
- Outcome severity affects damage awards, but does not directly influence liability decisions.
Assessing Damages
- Jurors often consider attorney fees and insurance coverage when evaluating damages.
- Assessing damages is a complex, subjective, and often unpredictable part of jury decisions.
Can Jurors Disregard Inadmissible Evidence?
- Inadmissible evidence is legally unsupportable.
- Jurors are instructed to disregard inadmissible evidence, but this instruction is often ineffective.
Why Can't Jurors Disregard the Evidence?
- Reactance theory describes how jurors resist pressure to disregard evidence.
- Thought suppression makes it difficult to ignore information once presented.
Are Juries Biased?
- A fundamental assumption is that juries have a blank slate when entering a trial.
- Juries are often prone to bias, stemming from jurors' prior opinions and experiences.
- Biases are typically considered inevitable and pervasive, even being considered extralegal in nature.
Juror Bias and Reasoning
- Predictional distortion is the tendency of jurors to evaluate evidence based on initial biases or expectations rather than objective standards.
- The sympathy hypothesis involves the impact of juror empathy with the victim or defendant on verdict severity.
Jury Deliberation
- Jury deliberations progress through stages: orientation, conflict, and resolution/reconciliation.
- Deliberations sometimes mitigate biases, but stronger evidence decreases bias more.
How Do Jurors Deliberate?
- Deliberation stages include orientation, conflict, and resolution.
Stage 2: Conflict
- This is usually the most contentious deliberation stage.
- Jurors are often influenced by other jurors' arguments.
Types of Deliberations
- Verdict-driven deliberation occurs when jurors vote early.
- Evidence-driven deliberation occurs when jurors examine all evidence before reaching a verdict.
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Description
Explore the psychological factors influencing jurors in the judicial process. This quiz covers the reasoning processes, biases, and decision-making strategies that jurors employ during trials. Learn about the significance of trial by jury in the US legal system as well.
