PSYCH 3CC3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 39: Jury Instructions, Physical Attractiveness, Note-Taking

• School: McMaster University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYCH 3CC3
• Professor: Richard B Day

Document Summary

Looked at interacttion between defendant"s attractiveness, victim"s attractiveness both on juror decision making. Varied both defendant race (white, black, aboriginal) and physical attractiveness for mock jurors in sexual assault trial. Results: female jurors not influenced by either defendant or victmi"s attractiveness, male jurors more certain of defendant"s guilt when victim unattractive. Race and attractiveness interact: white defendant: attractive victims rated more responsible than unattractive victims for assault, black defendant: attractive victims rated less responsible than unattractive victims for assault, aboriginal defendant: no interaction between attractiveness and victim responsibility. Extra evidentiary factors (cont"d) (things that should play no role in judgements of guilt but do: defendant ses. Effects small; not all studies find effects: defendant juror interactions. Fewer guilty verdicts for defendants similar to jurors. When race not salient in trial: white jurors harsher on black defendants, black jurors more lenient on black defendants.