NCJ Number
60009
Journal
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin Volume: 2, Dated: (1976) Pages: 63-66
Date Published
1976
Length
4 pages
Annotation
THIS EXPERIMENT WITH A SIMULATED JURY DEMONSTRATES A CHOICE SITUATION IN WHICH GROUP DISCUSSION TENDS TO ENHANCE THE INITIALLY DOMINANT TENDENCY OF THE SUBJECTS.
Abstract
CERTAIN RESEARCHERS HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT INDIVIDUAL JUROR JUDGEMENT CAN BE CONSIDERED WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK PROVIDED BY INFORMATION THEORY. EACH PIECE OF INFORMATION RECEIVED BY THE JUROR--WHETHER LEGALLY RELEVANT OR IRRELEVANT--HAS SOME VALUE ON A GUILT DIMENSION AS WELL AS A WEIGHT OF IMPORTANCE TO THE JUDGEMENT. IN REACHING A UNITARY JUDGEMENT OF GUILT, THEREFORE, THE JUROR COMBINES THESE VALUES, WEIGHTING EACH BY ITS RELATIVE IMPORTANCE. THE INITIAL IMPRESSION OF THE JUROR, PRESUMABLY NEUTRAL, IS ALSO ADDED. IN THIS THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK, RESPONSES WILL SHIFT FROM THE INITIAL IMPRESSION, I.E., BECOME POLARIZED, GIVEN AN INCREASE IN EITHER THE WEIGHT OR AMOUNT OF NON-NEUTRAL INFORMATION. IN THIS EXPERIMENT, THE SIMULATED JURORS, 60 PSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS, WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO 6, 10-PERSON GROUPS. THE RESPONDED, BEFORE AND AFTER GROUP INTERACTION, TO EIGHT TRAFFIC FELONY CASES ADAPTED FROM THE CALIFORNIA LAW REVIEWS. HALF THE CASES CONTAINED INFORMATION THAT WAS HIGHLY INCRIMINATING FOR THE DEFENDANT (HIGH GUILT CASES) AND HALF CONTAINED INFORMATION LOW IN INCRIMINATING VALUE (LOW GUILT CASES). RESULTS SHOWED THAT, AS PREDICTED, GROUP DISCUSSION IN SIMULATED JURIES SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCED THE DOMINANT INITIAL LEANINGS OF THE GROUP MEMBERS, BUT THEY DID NOT INDICATE WHAT ELEMENTS OF THE DISCUSSION PROCESS PRODUCED THESE RESPONSE CHANGES. THIS EXTENSION OF THE GROUP POLARIZATION PHENOMENON SUGGESTS THAT FURTHER RESEARCH IS NEEDED ON THE EFFECTS OF JURY DELIBERATION AND THAT SUCH RESEARCH NEEDS TO BE CONDUCTED IN BOTH FIELD AND LABORATORY SETTINGS. REFERENCES AND A RATING CHART ARE INCLUDED. (AOP)