NCJ Number
47204
Journal
Journal of Social Psychology Volume: 104 Dated: (APRIL 1978) Pages: 287-293
Date Published
1978
Length
7 pages
Annotation
THE PRACTICE OF USING COLLEGE STUDENTS IN LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS INVOLVING SIMULATED JURY DECISIONMAKING IS QUESTIONED.
Abstract
IN THE VAST MAJORITY OF LABORATORY SIMULATIONS OF JURY DECISIONMAKING, STUDENTS HAVE BEEN USED IN THE JUROR ROLE. TO DETERMINE WHETHER RESULTS FROM SUCH STUDIES CAN BE GENERALIZED TO NONSTUDENTS IN SIMILAR ROLES, 80 RANDOMLY SELECTED UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AND 80 RANDOMLY SELECTED NONSTUDENT CITIZENS WERE ASKED TO MAKE SENTENCING DECISIONS IN A HYPOTHETICAL CASE OF RAPE. THE STUDENTS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE LENIENT IN THEIR SENTENCES THAN WERE NONSTUDENTS. IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS ARE DISCUSSED. SUPPORTING TABULAR DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)