EFFECT OF PLEADING THE FIFTH AMENDMENT ON PERCEPTIONS OF GUILT AND MORALITY

• NCJ Number: 31235
• Journal: BULLETIN OF THE PSYCHONOMIC SOCIETY Volume: 6 Issue: 5 Dated: (1975) Pages: 449-452
• Author(s): C HENDRICK; D R SHAFFER
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 4 pages
• Corporate Author: Psychonomic Soc
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: REPRINT

Annotation

A SIMULATED JURY SITUATION WAS USED TO STUDY THE EFFECTS OF PLEADING THE FIFTH AMENDMENT ON INFERENCES ABOUT AN ACCUSED PERSON'S GUILT AND RATINGS OF HIS MORALITY.

Abstract

SUBJECTS READ A FABRICATED TRANSCRIPT OF A GRAND JURY PROCEEDING FOR AN EMBEZZLEMENT CASE IN WHICH AN ACCUSED PERSON EITHER DENIED GUILT FOR HIMSELF OR TOOK THE FIFTH AMENDMENT AND EITHER DENIED GUILT FOR ANOTHER PERSON OR TOOK THE FIFTH AMENDMENT WHEN QUESTIONED ABOUT THE OTHER PERSON. THUS, THE EXPERIMENT WAS A 2 BY 2 BETWEEN-GROUPS FACTORIAL DESIGN. RESULTS SHOWED THAT NEGATIVE MORAL EVALUATION WAS IN DIRECT PROPORTION TO THE FREQUENCY WITH WHICH THE FIFTH AMENDMENT WAS TAKEN. INFERENCES OF GUILT SHOWED A SIMILAR TREND EXCEPT THAT CONSISTENCY OF PLEADING FOR SELF AND OTHER ALSO MODERATED INFERENCES OF GUILT. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)