Inside the Juror: The Psychology of Juror Decision Making

Description

How jurors come to a verdict in a trial is a fascinating topic with many unexpected aspects. Inside the Juror presents the most interesting and sophisticated work to date on juror decision making from several traditions--social psychology, behavioral decision theory, cognitive psychology, and behavioral modeling. The authors grapple with crucial questions, such as: Why jurors who hear the same evidence and arguments in the courtroom enter the jury room with disagreements about the proper verdict and how biases and prejudices affect jurors' decisions. And just how "rational" is the typical juror? As an introduction to the scientific study of juror decision making in criminal trials, Inside the Juror provides a comprehensive and understandable summary of the major theories of juror decision making and the research that has been conducted to evaluate their validity.

"...a comprehensive overview of the research done on juror decision making from several academic perspectives: social psychology, behavioral decision theory, cognitive psychology, and behavioral modeling...Although the papers are written from an academic perspective, the theories are readily applied to actual juries since much of the research was conducted through realistic mock-jury simulation studies." Criminal Lawyers Association Newsletter "...a useful reference, providing side-by-side comparisons of the four models of juror decision making that have generated the most research activity." Dorothy K. Kagehiro, Contemporary Psychology