Mock jury decision-making: does data collection method matter?

• In Event: Juror Perceptions, Decisions, and Education

Abstract

Extra-legal variables, such as defendant race, have the potential to impact juror decision-making. This study aimed to replicate Canadian research (Maeder et al., 2018) in the United States with a more racially and ethnically diverse sample of mock jurors. Participants were asked to render a verdict after reading a vignette about a second-degree robbery trial where the race/ethnicity of the defendant is randomly assigned. Data collection was handled four different ways: with an online student sample, an in-person student sample, an online community sample through MTurk, and an in-person community sample. The differences in verdict decisions between the defendant’s race, the sample composition, and the data collection method were analyzed. Implications of the applicability of varying results to real-world scenarios will be discussed.

Authors

• Christine Tartaro, Stockton University

• Kimberley Schanz, Stockton University