Doctoral Dissertation Research: Religious Appeals in Closing Arguments

本研究将探讨律师在结案陈词中所使用的宗教与非宗教诉求是否会影响陪审员的决策。 认知经验自我理论（CEST）预测，宗教诉求引起的影响会导致个人经验地（即依赖情感）而不是理性地（即依赖逻辑）处理信息。 本研究将使用CEST，以确定是否宗教上诉影响处理类型，并导致在法律上不允许的方式作出的决定。 最后，本项目将调查关于如何作出量刑决定的指令的影响。 实验方法采用书面审判摘要，编辑陪审团的指示，和判决的形式，所有这些都是基于实际的审判。 参与者将阅读摘要和说明，并在判决表上表明他们的判决决定。参与者还将完成一项旨在衡量所使用的决策策略类型的书面任务。

This study will determine whether religious and non-religious appeals used by lawyers in closing arguments affect the decision-making of jurors. Cognitive-experiential self-theory (CEST) predicts that affect caused by religious appeals will lead individuals to process information experientially (i.e. relying on emotions) instead of rationally (i.e. relying on logic). This study will use CEST to determine whether religious appeals influence processing type and lead to decisions made in legally impermissible ways. Finally, the project will investigate the effects of directives regarding how to make the sentencing decision. The experimental methodology employs a written trial summary, edited jury instructions, and a verdict form, all of which are based on an actual trial. Participants will read the summary and instructions and will indicate their sentencing decisions on the verdict form. Participants will also complete a written task designed to measure type of decision-making strategy used.