blog




  • Essay / The Impact of Social Stereotypes on Juror Decisions

    The amount of psychological research on the impact of social stereotypes on juror decisions is increasing. Previous studies have examined everything from the effect of differences in social categories (Deaux, K, 1984) to the gender of the perpetrator (e.g., Clark, HL & Nightingale, NN, 1997; Mallozi, J. , McDermott, V. and Kayson, W., 1990). The current study asks whether male defendants are always more likely to be convicted than female defendants, or whether the match with crime type matters? Jurors are randomly selected citizens tasked with determining whether a person is guilty or not, based solely on the evidence provided by the court. (Functions and Duties of a Juror, n.d.) However, jurors, like all other humans, have the potential to be biased, meaning that their final decision can sometimes be influenced by many factors. The Effect of Defendant Race on Simulated Juror Decisions in 1998, a study on the perception of blue-collar and white-collar crime and "The Effect Defendant Race on Simulated Juror Decisions" was conducted...