Abstract
The results of a mock juror study exploring the influence of emotional predispositions on verdict choice will be presented and discussed. In this study undergraduate psychology students were asked to givetheir verdict in response to one of two murder trials. The trials varied only in terms of the brutality of the crime described. Jurors’ Disgust Sensitivity (DS) trait anger, and vengefulness were measured. High DS was associated with a bias towards conviction over both trials, while the other two personality dimensions were unrelated to verdict choice. The findings suggest that disgust plays a privileged role in the moral domain. High DS may make individuals acutely sensitive to the threat of moral “contamination” posed by potential deviants. This could prejudice such jurors against defendants, as convicting defendants represents the removal of such threats.
| Original language | English |
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| Pages (from-to) | 33 |
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Journal | Australian Journal of Psychology |
| Volume | 58 |
| Issue number | Suppl. 1 |
| Publication status | Published - 2006 |
| Event | Annual meeting of the Society of Australasian Social Psychologists (SASP) (35th : 2006) - Canberra Duration: 20 Apr 2006 → 23 Apr 2006 |