NCJ Number
46114
Journal
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin Volume: 3 Issue: 4 Dated: (AUTUMN 1977) Pages: 666-669
Date Published
1977
Length
4 pages
Annotation
THE EFFECTS OF A VICTIM'S ATTRACTIVENESS ON JURORS' VERDICTS AND SENTENCE RECOMMENDATIONS AND ON THEIR ASSESSMENT OF THE VICTIM'S CREDIBILITY AND VICTIM PRECIPITATION OF THE CRIME ARE MEASURED.
Abstract
THE STUDY'S SUBJECTS WERE 150 MALE AND 150 FEMALE UNDERGRADUATE SOCIAL SCIENCE STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATED VOLUNTARILY DURING REGULAR CLASS PERIODS. AN EQUAL NUMBER OF MALES AND FEMALES WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO REVIEW IDENTICAL ACCOUNTS OF A RAPE INCIDENT. BRIEF DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED CONCERNING BOTH THE VICTIM AND THE DEFENDANT. WHILE THE SAME INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED TO ALL THE SUBJECTS, EQUAL NUMBERS OF PHOTOGRAPHS OF AN ATTRACTIVE AND AN UNATTRACTIVE 20-YEAR OLD FEMALE WERE PROVIDED AND INDICATED TO BE PICTURES OF THE VICTIM. A QUESTIONNAIRE WAS ATTACHED ON WHICH THE SUBJECTS WERE TO INDICATE GUILT OR INNOCENCE, RECOMMENDED SENTENCE, VICTIM CREDIBILITY, AND VICTIM INCIDENT PRECIPITATION. THE STUDY FOUND NO ADVANTAGE AFFORDED THE ATTRACTIVE VICTIM OVER THE UNATTRACTIVE ONE IN EVALUATING EITHER CREDIBILITY OR VICTIM PRECIPITATION. NEITHER WAS THERE EVIDENCE OF DISADVANTAGE DUE TO ATTRACTIVENESS, AS HAD BEEN FOUND IN OTHER RESEARCH. IT WAS INDICATED, HOWEVER, THAT A HARSHER SENTENCE WOULD BE GIVEN WHEN AN ATTRACTIVE WOMAN WAS RAPED AS COMPARED TO AN INSTANCE WHERE THE VICTIM WAS RELATIVELY UNATTRACTIVE. WHILE THE DECISION AS TO THE DEFENDANT'S GUILT OR INNOCENCE WAS NOT PREJUDICED BY THE VICTIM'S ATTRACTIVENESS, THERE WAS A TENDENCY FOR FEMALE SUBJECTS TO FAVOR A GUILTY VERDICT MORE OFTEN THAN THE MALE SUBJECTS, AND THE MALE SUBJECTS TENDED TO PRONOUNCE HARSHER SENTENCES SUBSEQUENT TO A DECISION OF GUILT. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)