Jury Decision Making in Capital Cases: The Punishment Phase

这个项目使用社会认知理论来研究符合条件的陪审员在死刑审判中理解和应用法律的方式，以确定是否判处被告终身监禁或死刑。先前的研究发现，潜在陪审员不能可靠地理解指导陪审员权衡加重和减轻因素以确定判决的指示。目前的项目包括对陪审员和陪审团决定的两项独立研究，试图确定似乎与法律不一致的认知原型是否会干扰陪审员对量刑指示的理解。第一项研究包括对100名符合死刑陪审团资格的公民进行结构化访谈，以确定他们对被指控和被定罪的杀人犯、谋杀受害者、加重情节、减轻情节和其他法律要素的看法。第二个研究是一个模拟陪审团研究，用视频展示了一个重新制定的谋杀审判和陪审团审议。它将检验这样一个假设，即对量刑指示的误解不仅是由于语言不清，而且还由于陪审员的谋杀图式（在研究1中测量）与指示中概述的法律之间存在不一致，以及缺乏关于陪审员必须遵循指示的认知步骤的程序知识。这项研究的总体目标是了解陪审员犯的认知错误的类型，以及这些错误可能影响一级谋杀罪审判中的审议和最终判决的方式。%%%%本项目使用社会认知理论来研究合格陪审员在死刑谋杀审判中理解和应用法律的方式，以确定是否判处被告终身监禁或死刑。先前的研究发现，潜在陪审员不能可靠地理解指导陪审员权衡加重和减轻因素以确定判决的指示。目前的项目包括对陪审员和陪审团决定的两项独立研究，试图确定似乎与法律不一致的认知原型是否会干扰陪审员对量刑指示的理解。第一项研究包括对100名符合死刑陪审团资格的公民进行结构化访谈，以确定他们对被指控和被定罪的杀人犯、谋杀受害者、加重情节、减轻情节和其他法律要素的看法。第二个研究是一个模拟陪审团研究，用视频展示了一个重新制定的谋杀审判和陪审团审议。这项研究的总体目标是了解陪审员犯的认知错误的类型，以及这些错误可能影响一级谋杀罪审判中的审议和最终判决的方式。＊＊＊＊

9515451 Wiener This project use social cognition theory to study the way in which eligible jurors understand and apply the law in capital murder trials to determine whether to sentence a defendant to life in prison or to death. Previous research has found that potential jurors do not reliably comprehend instructions which direct jurors to weigh aggravating and mitigating factors to determine a sentence. The current project involves two separate studies of juror and jury decision that will attempt to determine whether cognitive prototypes that appear to be inconsistent with the law interfere with jurors' understanding of sentencing instructions. The first study involves structured interviews with 100 capital jury-eligible citizens to determine their beliefs about accused and convicted murderers, victims of murder, aggravating circumstances, mitigating circumstances, and other elements of law. The second study is a mock jury study with video presentation of a re-enacted murder trial and jury deliberations. It will test the hypothesis that miscomprehension of sentencing instructions is produced not only by unclear language but also by the existence of l)incongruence between the jurors' schemata of murder (measured in study 1) and the law outlined in the instructions and 2) the lack of procedural knowledge concerning the cognitive steps that jurors must enact to follow the instructions. The overall goal of the research is to understand the types of cognitive errors that jurors commit and the way in which these errors may influence deliberations and final sentences in first degree murder trials. %%%% This project use social cognition theory to study the way in which eligible jurors understand and apply the law in capital murder trials to determine whether to sentence a defendant to life in prison or to death. Previous research has found that potential jurors do not reliably comprehend instructions which direct jurors to weigh aggravating and mitigating factors to determine a sentence. The c urrent project involves two separate studies of juror and jury decision that will attempt to determine whether cognitive prototypes that appear to be inconsistent with the law interfere with jurors' understanding of sentencing instructions. The first study involves structured interviews with 100 capital jury-eligible citizens to determine their beliefs about accused and convicted murderers, victims of murder, aggravating circumstances, mitigating circumstances, and other elements of law. The second study is a mock jury study with video presentation of a re-enacted murder trial and jury deliberations. The overall goal of the research is to understand the types of cognitive errors that jurors commit and the way in which these errors may influence deliberations and final sentences in first degree murder trials. ****