Doctoral Dissertation Research: The Impact of Jury Diversity on Deliberation Quality

由两名少数族裔成员组成的陪审团比全白人陪审团有更高的审议质量。陪审团多样性本身是否提高了陪审团审议的质量，或者仅仅是吸收了来自代表性不足群体的陪审员才提高了审议质量？拟议的论文研究包括三项研究，即操纵陪审团多样性和证据强度，以检验多元化陪审团是否比同质陪审团做出更好的决定。在每项研究中，模拟陪审员将观看审判模拟视频(在审判中提供的证据强度不同)，审议并做出裁决，使PI能够检查更多样化的陪审团是否能够更好地评估证据强度。这三项研究在操纵陪审团多样性的方法上各不相同。在研究1中，由所有拉美裔陪审员组成的模拟陪审团的审议将与由多数拉美裔成员和两名白人成员组成的陪审团的审议进行比较，以检查先前研究的结果是否依赖于创造同质陪审团的特权多数(白人)。在研究2中，将对全白人陪审团、全黑人陪审团和混合陪审团的审议进行编码，以评估陪审团多样性对陪审团是否参与更复杂推理的影响程度。第三项研究将使用最小群体范式来探索多样性对审议质量的影响是否延伸到通过种族或民族以外的特征创造的多样性，特别是评审团成员之间的财富分配。这项提议的学术价值源于它对陪审团多样性改善陪审团审议的机制的调查。美国法院一再认识到陪审团中少数族裔陪审员的重要性。拟议的研究将提供证据，说明实现法院需要哪些类型的多样性？改善司法公正的目标。

Juries with two minority group members have higher quality deliberations than do all-White juries. Does jury diversity per se improve the quality of jury deliberations or is it merely the inclusion of jurors from underrepresented groups that improves deliberation quality? The proposed dissertation research consists of three studies manipulating jury diversity and evidence strength to examine whether diverse juries make better decisions than homogenous juries. In each study, mock jurors will watch a trial simulation video (which varies the strength of the evidence presented at trial), deliberate, and render verdicts, allowing the PIs to examine whether more diverse juries are better able to evaluate evidence strength. The three studies vary the method of manipulating jury diversity. In Study 1, the deliberations of mock juries comprised of all Hispanic jurors will be compared with the deliberations of juries with a majority of Hispanic members and two White members to examine whether the findings of previous research are dependent upon a privileged majority (Whites) creating the homogenous jury. In Study 2, the deliberations of all-White juries, all-Black juries, and mixed juries will be coded to evaluate the extent to which jury diversity influences whether juries engage in more complex reasoning. The third study will use a minimal groups paradigm to explore whether the impact of diversity on deliberation quality extends to diversity created through a characteristic other than race or ethnicity, specifically the distribution of wealth among jury members. The intellectual merit of this proposal stems from its investigation of the mechanism by which jury diversity improves jury deliberations. U.S. courts have repeatedly recognized the importance of the presence of minority jurors on juries. The proposed research will provide evidence regarding what types of diversity are necessary to achieve the courts? goal of improving justice.