Jury Research Kollectionn |
answers to questions about trying cases
Online Jury Research Update (blawg)
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The OJRU is a legal persuasion, jury research and trial advocacy blog of social science research that offers practical answers to questions about trying cases.
Posts discuss bias, hearsay, objections, emotion, deliberations, instructions, doubt, damages, publicity, liability, voir dire, gender, race, persuasion, experts, jurors, judges and more.
Blog posts are organized by topic to facilitate finding specific subject matter. The complete topical organization can be accessed any time at the top of this page.
RECENT POSTS
How does the burden of proof standard affect guilty verdicts?
How do deception expectations affect negotiations?
Can misinformation distort eyewitness memory for a person's face?
Are defendants more often found liable with general or special verdict forms?
When does juror exposure to negative pre-trial publicity affect deliberations?
Do jurors distinguish illustrative & substantive demonstratives when awarding damages?
Are silent jurors in voir dire unbiased jurors?
Do jurors answer fully and truthfully in voir dire?
How accurately do jurors exposed to pretrial publicity self-diagnose their ability to be fair?
Which type of voir dire best identifies biased jurors?
Is individual or group voir dire more effective at identifying juror bias?
Are jurors more candid in attorney-conducted or judge-conducted voir dire?
Which better uncovers bias: juror questionnaires or oral voir dire?
Is directive or non-directive questioning in voir dire better at identifying juror bias?
Can voir dire questions help jurors set aside a litigant's prior record?
Does voir dire or judicial instruction better educate about due process rights?
Does ingratiation in voir dire affect trial outcomes?
How does mentioning racial bias in voir dire affect juror decision-making?
Does judicial rehabilitation in voir dire debias jurors in civil cases?
Does judicial rehabilitation about the insanity defense reduce juror bias?
How does a juror's social class influence understanding of evidence?
How does a juror's social status affect participation in deliberations?
Does prior jury experience affect how a juror participates in deliberations?
How does prior jury experience affect jurors' verdicts?
Are crime victims more likely to convict defendants of crimes?
Which jurors take notes during trial?
Which jurors are more favorable toward the use of expert witnesses?
Which dissenting jurors hang juries versus conform to majority opinion?
How do jurors' tort reform attitudes affect civil and criminal verdicts?
How do jurors' litigation crisis beliefs affect punitive damage awards?
How does a juror's locus of control influence liability decisions?
How does jurors' authoritarianism affect criminal verdicts?
How do jurors' religious beliefs affect death penalty verdicts?
How do legal attitudes of jurors affect verdicts in criminal cases?
Does a juror's gender affect verdicts in gender discrimination cases?
Do women jurors lean toward the prosecution or defense in rape trials?
Do male jurors talk more than female jurors in deliberations?
Do minority jurors participate less in deliberations than White jurors?
Are Spanish-speaking witnesses more credible to Spanish-speaking jurors?
How impartial are jurors in sex abuse cases?
What is the effect of #MeToo support on juror decision-making?
How does the racial diversity of juries affect verdicts?
Do minority jurors participate less in deliberations than White jurors?
How does racial composition of a jury affect capital sentencing?
When are juries more lenient toward African-American than White defendants?
When do Black jurors judge Black defendants more harshly than White defendants?
How do jurors treat plaintiffs who don't speak English?
Do jurors believe non-native speakers are as truthful as native speakers?
Are Spanish-speaking witnesses more credible to Spanish-speaking jurors?
Are jurors more persuaded by attorneys of their own or another race?
Are jurors fairer to Hispanic defendants with non-Hispanic attorneys?
How does litigants' race influence verdicts in sexual harassment cases?
Do jurors like cultural explanations of conduct in sexual harassment cases?
◄ GENDER ►
Which influence style is persuasive for female attorneys?
Are attorneys more persuasive when expressing anger?
Do male or female prosecutors get more convictions?
Do male or female criminal defense attorneys get more acquittals?
Do male or female defense attorneys get more acquittals in rape trials?
How do women and minority plaintiffs fare in employment cases tried to juries?
How does litigants' gender affect jury verdicts in sexual harassment cases?
How is sexual harassment perceived differently by men and women?
Does calling an accuser a ‘complaining witness’ or ‘victim’ matter?
Does a juror's gender affect verdicts in gender discrimination cases?
Do women jurors lean toward the prosecution or defense in rape trials?
Do male jurors talk more than female jurors in deliberations?
◄ JURY DECISION-MAKING ►
Do juries reach different decisions than judges?
Do bench or jury trials yield more mistakenly rejected settlement offers?
Do jurors award the same or different damages as arbitrators and judges?
When do judges award higher punitive damages than juries?
Are judges better than juries at setting inadmissible evidence aside?
When are juries more likely than judges to convict criminal defendants?
How do bifurcated versus unitary trials affect jurors' verdicts?
Do jurors discuss attorneys' fees when awarding damages?
Do jurors discuss insurance in deliberations when awarding damages?
What influences jurors' initial votes in criminal trials?
Have jurors made up their mind by the end of opening statements?
When do jurors first form their verdict preferences?
When does juror exposure to negative pre-trial publicity affect deliberations?
Do jurors recognize that trial evidence is selective and not all of the facts?
Can pre-instruction about the hindsight bias de-bias juror decision-making?
When does "if only" thinking affect jurors' verdicts about accidents?
Are defendants more often found liable with general or special verdict forms?
Do jurors award more money when given general or special verdict forms?
Are verdicts harsher when the most severe verdict option is decided first or last?
How do multiple charges against a defendant influence jurors' verdicts?
How does the racial diversity of juries affect verdicts?
Do male jurors talk more than female jurors in deliberations?
How does a juror's social status affect participation in deliberations?
Do larger or smaller juries perform better?
How often does a jury's minority sway the majority to its point of view?
Which dissenting jurors hang juries versus conform to majority opinion?
In which cases is settlement most often mistakenly rejected?
Who most often mistakenly rejects settlement -- plaintiffs or defendants?
Are defendants who lose civil jury trials at a disadvantage on appeal?
How well are instructions on circumstantial evidence understood by jurors?
Do jurors distinguish illustrative & substantive demonstratives when awarding damages?
What effects do implicit bias instructions have on jurors and deliberations?
Can jurors follow instructions limiting use of a defendant's prior conviction?
How able are jurors to disregard stricken evidence?
Can jurors disregard hearsay evidence?
Are judges better than juries at setting inadmissible evidence aside?
How do objections influence jurors' treatment of inadmissible testimony?
How can jurors be instructed more effectively to disregard inadmissible evidence?
How well are instructions on preponderance of evidence understood by jurors?
How accurately do jurors decide liability based on preponderance of the evidence?
How well do jurors understand negligence instructions?
Do instructions about loss of enjoyment of life increase damage awards?
How does pre-instruction about damages influence damage awards?
Can pre-instruction about the hindsight bias de-bias juror decision-making?
How do the letter and spirit of the law affect culpability decisions?
Do instructions help jurors understand presumption of innocence & burden of proof?
How well do jurors uphold a defendant's right not to testify?
How well do jurors understand jury instructions on reasonable doubt?
How does the burden of proof standard affect guilty verdicts?
Which definition of reasonable doubt reduces conviction rates?
Does voir dire or judicial instruction best educate about due process rights?
Does pre-instructing juries about due process rights influence verdicts?
How often are jurors presented invalid scientific evidence?
Are judges better than juries at setting inadmissible evidence aside?
Do jurors attend to a judge's nonverbal behavior?
Do juries reach different decisions than judges?
Do jurors return verdicts in accordance with a judge's leaning?
Do judges set aside a defendant's history and character when determining guilt?
When are juries more likely than judges to convict criminal defendants?
How do judges' backgrounds affect sexual harassment case outcomes?
Do jurors award the same or different damages as arbitrators and judges?
When do judges award higher punitive damages than juries?
Do bench or jury trials yield more mistakenly rejected settlement offers?
What attorney conduct do jurors like and dislike?
Does ingratiation in voir dire affect trial outcomes?
What questioning style is most effective for discrediting an expert witness?
Do frequent objections by attorneys alienate jurors?
How do objections influence jurors' treatment of inadmissible testimony?
Which influence style is persuasive for female attorneys?
Are attorneys more persuasive when expressing anger?
How do successful and unsuccessful prosecutors and defense attorneys speak?
How do private attorneys compare to court-appointed & public defenders?
Do male or female criminal defense attorneys get more acquittals?
Do male or female defense attorneys get more acquittals in rape trials?
Are jurors fairer to Hispanic defendants with Hispanic attorneys?
Are jurors more persuaded by attorneys of their own or another race?
Which witness preparation method is most effective -- simulation or training?
How does witness instruction in cross-examination techniques affect answers?
How does media coverage of a case affect eyewitness memory?
Are eyewitness memories distorted by talking with other witnesses?
Can misinformation distort eyewitness memory for a person's face?
How do the verb, adjective and article in questions affect witnesses' answers?
How does question wording affect witnesses' answers of frequency?
How does cross-examination question phrasing affect witness accuracy?
Are leading or non-leading questions better at exposing inaccurate witnesses?
Do complex questions to child witnesses help or hurt the defense?
Does testimony of trivial details hurt or help a witness' credibility?
Does refutation of peripheral details hurt an eyewitness's credibility?
When does exposing inconsistencies in witness testimony affect verdicts?
Are witnesses who don't speak English less credible to jurors?
Do jurors believe non-native speakers are as truthful as native speakers?
How do interpreters affect the credibility of witnesses?
Are Spanish-speaking witnesses more credible to Spanish-speaking jurors?
Are experts more persuasive using anecdotes or data?
Is one expert with multiple points more persuasive than multiple experts with distinct points?
What type of doctor is most credible to jurors as an expert witness?
Does the gender of an expert witness affect his/her credibility?
How do jurors respond to expert psychological testimony?
Are jurors most persuaded by clinical or actuarial psychological expert testimony?
How does expert testimony about eyewitness fallibility affect verdicts?
Which jurors are more favorable toward the use of expert witnesses?
How do leading questions influence jurors' perceptions of experts?
What questioning style is most effective for discrediting an expert witness?
What do jurors expect of product manufacturers?
To what standard of care do jurors hold auditors?
Which jurors are more likely to find against defendants in bad faith cases?
When does "if only" thinking affect jurors' verdicts about accidents?
How does litigants' race influence verdicts in sexual harassment cases?
Civil Plaintiff
How do jurors treat plaintiffs who don't speak English?
How do women and minority plaintiffs fare in employment cases tried to juries?
How does litigants' gender affect jury verdicts in sexual harassment cases?
How does litigants' race influence verdicts in sexual harassment cases?
How does litigant attractiveness affect verdicts in sexual harassment cases?
How do apologies affect settlement demands?
Do jurors like cultural explanations of conduct in sexual harassment cases?
When does "if only" thinking affect jurors' verdicts about accidents?
When are juries more lenient toward African-American than White defendants?
When do Black jurors judge Black defendants more harshly than White defendants?
Are jurors fairer to Hispanic defendants with non-Hispanic attorneys?
When are attractive defendants convicted more than unattractive defendants?
How does defendant ethnicity and immigrant status affect sentencing in capital cases?
Can jurors follow instructions limiting use of a defendant's prior conviction?
Can voir dire questions help jurors set aside a litigant's prior record?
Do judges set aside a defendant's history and character when determining guilt?
Do jurors treat alcohol abuse and child abuse as mitigators in capital cases?
What certainty do jurors require to convict a defendant?
When does juror exposure to negative pre-trial publicity affect deliberations?
Do jurors believe confessions can be false?
Can false confessions be distinguished from true confessions?
Case Case Type · Civil Issues · Criminal Issues
◄ TYPE ► SEXUAL ASSAULT / HARASSMENT <> MURDER · DEATH PENALTY · OTHER CRIMINAL <> EMPLOYMENT · PERSONAL INJURY · PRODUCT LIABILITY · MALPRACTICE · BAD FAITH · OTHER CIVIL
Sexual Assault (Civil & Criminal)
Do male or female defense attorneys get more acquittals in rape trials?
Do complex questions to child witnesses help or hurt the defense?
How does alcohol use affect jurors' judgments of sexual assault?
Are women who carry condoms less credible sexual assault victims?
How do jurors judge the severity of sexual harassment?
Do jurors think sexual harassment by email or in person is worse?
How is sexual harassment perceived differently by men and women?
Do jurors like cultural explanations of conduct in sexual harassment cases?
How do judges' backgrounds affect sexual harassment case outcomes?
How does litigant attractiveness affect verdicts in sexual harassment cases?
How does litigants' gender affect jury verdicts in sexual harassment cases?
How does litigants' race influence verdicts in sexual harassment cases?
Do jury consultants affect verdicts in death penalty cases?
How do jurors' religious beliefs affect death penalty verdicts?
Do religious appeals most help the prosecution or defense in capital sentencing?
How does racial composition of a jury affect capital sentencing?
Personal Injury
How do juror characteristics affect verdicts in personal injury cases?
Does the severity of a plaintiff's injury affect jurors' liability decisions?
When does "if only" thinking affect jurors' verdicts about accidents?
How do gruesome photographs affect liability verdicts?
Do jurors distinguish illustrative & substantive demonstratives when awarding damages?
Product Liability
What responsibility is assigned a priori to manufacturers and users for product injuries?
What do jurors expect of product manufacturers?
How do companies' general safety practices influence product liability verdicts?
How do warnings on products affect jurors' allocation of responsibility for injuries?
Do per diem or lump sum requests yield larger punitive damage awards?
Malpractice
To what standard of care do jurors hold auditors?
How common are frivolous medical malpractice claims?
Are plaintiffs awarded more money when defendants show remorse?
What damages do jurors award to non-negligent vs. partially negligent plaintiffs?
Do jurors distinguish illustrative & substantive demonstratives when awarding damages?
How do jurors handle conflicting expert testimony?
Does judicial rehabilitation in voir dire debias jurors in civil cases?
◄ CIVIL CASE ISSUES ► LIABILITY · DAMAGES · SETTLEMENT
Liability
How do gruesome photographs affect liability verdicts?
Does the severity of a plaintiff's injury affect jurors' liability decisions?
Can jurors ignore a plaintiff's injury when deciding a defendant's recklessness?
Can pre-instruction about the hindsight bias de-bias juror decision-making?
How well are instructions on preponderance of evidence understood by jurors?
How accurately do jurors decide liability based on preponderance of the evidence?
How do juror characteristics affect verdicts in personal injury cases?
What do jurors think about whiplash cases?
How do warnings on products affect jurors' allocation of responsibility for injuries?
What responsibility is assigned a priori to manufacturers & users for product injuries?
When does "if only" thinking affect jurors' verdicts about accidents?
To what standard of care do jurors hold auditors?
Do jurors protect civil rights when illegal searches find illegal items?
Which jurors are more likely to find against defendants in bad faith cases?
How do bifurcated versus unitary trials affect jurors' verdicts?
How does the aggregation of plaintiffs influence liability and damage awards?
Are defendants more often found liable with general or special verdict forms?
How does the aggregation of plaintiffs influence liability and damage awards?
What damages do jurors award to non-negligent vs. partially negligent plaintiffs?
How are jurors affected by dollar amounts requested by plaintiffs?
Do larger per diem requests for noneconomic damages lead to larger awards?
Does a per diem or lump sum request yield a larger pain and suffering award?
Do per diem or lump sum requests yield larger punitive damage awards?
Do requests with precise or round amounts result in larger awards and settlements?
Do plaintiffs need to be careful of how much money they request?
Do jurors punish plaintiffs who request too much money?
What are effective defense responses to a plaintiff's damages request?
Are plaintiffs awarded more money when defendants show remorse?
Do instructions about loss of enjoyment of life increase damage awards?
How does pre-instruction about damages influence damage awards?
How do jurors treat plaintiffs who don't speak English?
Why are damages higher against corporate versus individual defendants?
How do jurors react to a corporation's cost-benefit analysis?
How does a juror's occupation affect damage awards?
Do juror demographics predict punitive damages in high-stakes cases?
How do jurors' litigation crisis beliefs affect punitive damage awards?
How helpful is expanded voir dire in civil cases?
Does judicial rehabilitation in voir dire debias jurors in civil cases?
What do jurors talk about in deliberations when deciding damages?
Do jurors discuss attorneys' fees when awarding damages?
Do jurors discuss insurance in deliberations when awarding damages?
When does "if only" thinking affect jurors' verdicts about accidents?
How do deliberations affect the decision to award punitive damages?
How do deliberations affect the size of punitive damage awards?
Do jurors distinguish illustrative & substantive demonstratives when awarding damages?
Do jurors award more money when given general or special verdict forms?
How do deception expectations affect negotiations?
How do apologies affect settlement demands?
Do requests with precise or round amounts result in larger awards and settlements?
How well do jurors uphold a defendant's right not to testify?
Do instructions help jurors understand presumption of innocence & burden of proof?
What certainty do jurors require to convict a defendant?
How well do jurors understand jury instructions on reasonable doubt?
How does the burden of proof standard affect guilty verdicts?
Which definition of reasonable doubt reduces conviction rates?
Can jurors disregard hearsay evidence?
Can jurors follow instructions limiting use of a defendant's prior conviction?
Do judges set aside a defendant's history and character when determining guilt?
Does pre-instructing juries about due process rights influence verdicts?
Can pre-instruction about the hindsight bias de-bias juror decision-making?
Does voir dire or judicial instruction better educate about due process rights?
Does character evidence help or hurt defendants in criminal trials?
When do physical and character evidence dilute information diagnostic of guilt?
How does gruesome evidence affect criminal jury verdicts?
How does viewing a crime scene videotape affect jury verdicts?
Do jurors believe confessions can be false?
Can false confessions be distinguished from true confessions?
How does the camera angle of a videotaped confession influence verdicts?
How does media coverage of a case affect eyewitness memory?
When does juror exposure to negative pre-trial publicity affect deliberations?
What do jurors think of circumstantial evidence?
Can jurors distinguish circumstantial and direct evidence?
How well are instructions on circumstantial evidence understood by jurors?
Do jurors expect scientific evidence in criminal cases?
How does a juror's social class influence understanding of evidence?
Do jurors treat alcohol abuse and child abuse as mitigators in capital cases?
Does calling an accuser a ‘complaining witness’ or ‘victim’ matter?
How does expert testimony about eyewitness fallibility affect verdicts?
How do legal attitudes of jurors affect verdicts in criminal cases?
What is the effect of a lesser-included charge?
How do multiple charges against a defendant influence jurors' verdicts?
Are verdicts harsher when the most severe verdict option is decided first or last?
Persuasion Strategies · Graphics · Language
◄ STRATEGIES ► FOR ATTORNEY · FOR WITNESS · FOR SPECIFIC EVIDENCE
For Attorney
Can closing argument reduce jurors' use of "20-20 hindsight"?
Do religious appeals most help the prosecution or defense in capital sentencing?
Do jurors like cultural explanations of conduct in sexual harassment cases?
Does ingratiation in voir dire affect trial outcomes?
Which influence style is persuasive for female attorneys?
Are attorneys more persuasive when expressing anger?
In what ways do jurors expect attorneys to use technology and graphics?
Do frequent objections by attorneys alienate jurors?
How do objections influence jurors' treatment of inadmissible testimony?
How do apologies affect settlement demands?
Do requests with precise or round amounts result in larger awards and settlements?
How do deception expectations affect negotiations?
In which cases is settlement most often mistakenly rejected?
Do bench or jury trials yield more mistakenly rejected settlement offers?
Are defendants who lose civil jury trials at a disadvantage on appeal?
Do jurors distinguish stated and implied facts in testimony?
Does testimony of trivial details hurt or help a witness' credibility?
When does exposing inconsistencies in witness testimony affect verdicts?
Does refutation of peripheral details hurt an eyewitness's credibility?
Are leading or non-leading questions better at exposing inaccurate witnesses?
Do complex questions to child witnesses help or hurt the defense?
How does cross-examination question phrasing affect witness accuracy?
What makes an expert witness persuasive to jurors?
What criteria do jurors use to judge the credibility of expert testimony?
How do jurors handle conflicting expert testimony?
Is one expert with multiple points more persuasive than multiple experts with distinct points?
Are experts more persuasive using anecdotes or data?
How do leading questions influence jurors' perceptions of experts?
What questioning style is most effective for discrediting an expert witness?
Is comparing death risks from asbestos exposure to other substances persuasive?
How do jurors react to a corporation's cost-benefit analysis?
When does "if only" thinking affect jurors' verdicts about accidents?
Do jurors like cultural explanations of conduct in sexual harassment cases?
When do physical and character evidence dilute information diagnostic of guilt?
Does it help or hurt when racial differences are a salient issue at trial?
When is playing the race card an effective strategy?
Do jurors treat alcohol abuse and child abuse as mitigators in capital cases?
What do jurors think of circumstantial evidence?
Can jurors distinguish circumstantial and direct evidence?
How well are instructions on circumstantial evidence understood by jurors?
Do jurors distinguish stated and implied facts in testimony?
Do jurors recognize that trial evidence is selective and not all of the facts?
Can pre-instruction about the hindsight bias de-bias juror decision-making?
How do computer animations affect jurors?
Do jurors distinguish illustrative & substantive demonstratives when awarding damages?
How does gruesome evidence affect criminal jury verdicts?
How does viewing a crime scene videotape affect jury verdicts?
How does the camera angle of a videotaped confession influence verdicts?
How do jurors treat plaintiffs who don't speak English?
Are witnesses who don't speak English less credible to jurors?
Do jurors believe non-native speakers are as truthful as native speakers?
How do interpreters affect the credibility of witnesses?
Are Spanish-speaking witnesses more credible to Spanish-speaking jurors?
How does cross-examination question phrasing affect witness accuracy?
How does question wording affect witnesses' answers of frequency?
How do the verb, adjective and article in questions affect witnesses' answers?
What speech style is most effective for witnesses?
Do complex questions to child witnesses help or hurt the defense?
How do leading questions influence jurors' perceptions of experts?
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