RACIAL FACTORS AND PERSONALITY VARIABLES RELATED TO THE DECISIONS OF JURORS

• NCJ Number: 62000
• Author(s): L A FOLEY
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 20 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: PAPER PRESENTED AT SYMPOSIUM ENTITLED 'SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF THE JURY DECISION-MAKING PROCESS', NEW YORK CITY, SEPTEMBER 1979

Annotation

FINDINGS ARE REPORTED FROM A STUDY DESIGNED TO MEASURE THE INTERACTIVE EFFECT ON JUROR DECISIONMAKING OF THE RACE OF THE DEFENDANT, THE RACE OF THE JUROR, AND THE COGNITIVE STRUCTURE OF THE JUROR (DEGREE OF DOGMATISM).

Abstract

SUBJECTS WERE 192 STUDENTS--114 FEMALES AND 77 MALES--AT A FLORIDA UNIVERSITY, WITH A MEDIAN AGE OF 28.5 YEARS; 171 OF THE SUBJECTS WERE WHITE. THE FIRST PHASE OF THE STUDY CONSISTED OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF A PACKET OF QUESTIONNAIRES, INCLUDING THE SHORT FORM OF THE MACHIAVELLIAN SCALE, WRIGHTSMAN'S PHILOSOPHY OF HUMAN NATURE SCALE, THE SHORT FROM OF THE DOGMATISM SCALE, AND THE INTERNAL-EXTERNAL LOCUS OF CONTROL SCALE. THE SECOND PHASE OF THE STUDY INVOLVED THE SIMULATION OF A JURY TRAIL OF A CAPITAL OFFENSE UNDER FLORIDA LAW, WHICH INVOLVES A BIFURCATED PROCESS REQUIRING THE JURY TO REACH A UNANIMOUS VERDICT, FOLLOWED BY A SEPARATE UNANIMOUS DECISION BETWEEN LIFE IMPRISONMENT AND DEATH SHOULD THE DEFENDANT BE FOUND GUILTY. A TAPE PLAYED TO THE SUBJECTS REPORTED ON A TRIAL WHERE AN ADULT MALE WAS CHARGED WITH COMMITTING SEXUAL BATTERY ON AN 11-YEAR-OLD CHILD. THERE WERE EIGHT TAPES WHICH VARIED ONLY IN THE RACE OF THE OFFENDER AND THE RACE AND SEX OF THE VICTIM. THE TAPES WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EACH OF 16 JURIES, 8 INCLUDING ONLY WHITE JURORS AND 8 INCLUDING SOME BLACK JURORS. AS JURIES AND AS INDIVIDUALS, THE SUBJECTS REPORTED ON THEIR VERDICTS AND THE SENTENCE (ASSUMING THE GUILT OF THE DEFENDANT). THE FORMS COMPLETED BY EACH SUBJECT ALSO ASSESSED THE SUBJECT'S PERCEPTION OF THE SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS OF THE DEFENDANT AND THE VICTIM. ALTHOUGH RESULTS SHOW THAT THE RACE OF THE DEFENDANT AND THE RACE OF THE VICTIM DID NOT HAVE A LARGE IMPACT ON THE SENTENCE, THE RACE OF THE SUBJECT DID, WITH BLACK SUBJECTS MUCH MORE LIKELY TO RECOMMEND A SENTENCE OF LIFE AND WHITE SUBJECTS MORE LIKELY TO RECOMMEND THE DEATH PENALTY. THE PRESENT STUDY APPARENTLY SHOWS THAT DOGMATISM DOES NOT HAVE A HIGH PREDICTIVE VALUE IN TERMS OF JURY DECISIONS UNLESS STUDIED IN RELATIONSHIP TO RACE AND SEX. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)