TY - JOUR
T1 - How type of excuse defense, mock juror age, and defendant age affect mock jurors' decisions
AU - Higgins, Pamela L.
AU - Heath, Wendy P.
AU - Grannemann, Bruce D.
PY - 2007/8
Y1 - 2007/8
N2 - The authors investigated the effects of mock juror age (younger vs. older), defendant age (22 vs. 65), and type of excuse defense used by defendants (a highly self-inflicted condition, Cocaine Dependency Disorder, vs. a less self-inflicted condition, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder) on mock juror decisions. Ninety-six younger and 96 older adults read a scenario and answered a questionnaire. Results indicated that the defendant using the highly self-inflicted excuse was more likely to receive a guilty verdict and a longer sentence than was the defendant using the less self-inflicted excuse. Older jurors were more certain of their verdicts and saw the defendant as more responsible for his condition than did younger jurors. Defendant age did not affect juror decisions. In addition, excuse type and juror age affected the jurors' perceptions of the victim's responsibility for the attack. The authors discuss the potential influence of juror age on perceptions of defendant responsibility.
AB - The authors investigated the effects of mock juror age (younger vs. older), defendant age (22 vs. 65), and type of excuse defense used by defendants (a highly self-inflicted condition, Cocaine Dependency Disorder, vs. a less self-inflicted condition, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder) on mock juror decisions. Ninety-six younger and 96 older adults read a scenario and answered a questionnaire. Results indicated that the defendant using the highly self-inflicted excuse was more likely to receive a guilty verdict and a longer sentence than was the defendant using the less self-inflicted excuse. Older jurors were more certain of their verdicts and saw the defendant as more responsible for his condition than did younger jurors. Defendant age did not affect juror decisions. In addition, excuse type and juror age affected the jurors' perceptions of the victim's responsibility for the attack. The authors discuss the potential influence of juror age on perceptions of defendant responsibility.
KW - Defendant age
KW - Excuse defenses
KW - Mock juror age
KW - Psychology and law
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U2 - 10.3200/SOCP.147.4.371-392
DO - 10.3200/SOCP.147.4.371-392
M3 - Article
C2 - 17955749
AN - SCOPUS:35448949123
SN - 0022-4545
VL - 147
SP - 371
EP - 392
JO - Journal of Social Psychology
JF - Journal of Social Psychology
IS - 4
ER -