EMPIRICAL STUDY OF DECISION PROCESS IN JURIES - A CRITICAL REVIEW (FROM LAW, JUSTICE, AND THE INDIVIDUAL IN SOCIETY - PSYCHOLOGICAL AND LEGAL ISSUES, 1977, BY J L TAPP AND F J LEVINE - SEE NCJ-47140)

• NCJ Number: 47150
• Author(s): J H DAVIS; R M BRAY; R W HOLT
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 36 pages
• Grant Number(s): GS-40192X; 50C-7305697-01
• Sponsoring Agency: National Science Foundation
• Corporate Author: Holt, Rinehart and Winston
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THEORIES AND RESEARCH CONCERNING JURORS AS INDIVIDUALS AND JURIES AS TASK-ORIENTED GROUPS ARE REVIEWED.

Abstract

THE CRITIQUE IS IN THREE PARTS: (1) JUROR RESEARCH (GUILT-IRRELEVANT FACTORS IN JURORS' DECISIONS; JUROR DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS; ATTITUDES, VALUES, AND GUILT; EFFECTS OF JUDICIAL INSTRUCTIONS; AND ORDER OF PRESENTATION AND INFORMATION INTEGRATION); (2) JURY RESEARCH (JURY DELIBERATION PROCESSES, JURY VERDICTS, AND SURVEY STUDIES); AND (3) THEORIES OF JURY BEHAVIOR (VARIOUS MODELS FOR EXPLAINING AND PREDICTING VERDICTS). SUBSTANTIALLY MORE RESEARCH EFFORT HAS BEEN DEVOTED TO JUROR BEHAVIOR THAN TO JURY BEHAVIOR. THIS IMBALANCE IS REDRESSED TO SOME EXTENT BY THE CONSIDERABLE BODY OF THEORY APPLYING DIRECTLY TO JURY DECISION PROCESSES. THE DIFFICULTY OF OBTAINING EMPIRICAL DATA, VARIABILITY IN RESEARCH PROCEDURES, AND ETHICAL CONSTRAINTS POINT UP THE NEED FOR MODELS OF USE IN EXTRAPOLATION AND SIMULATION. EVEN IF IT WERE POSSIBLE TO STUDY THE ACTUAL JURY IN THE PROCESS OF DELIBERATING AND DECIDING, LACK OF REPLICATION WOULD SERIOUSLY HAMPER THE DRAWING OF INFERENCES. SEVERAL TABLES AND CHARTS FROM THE STUDIES REVIEWED ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)