Variations in Individual Juror Reasoning and Its Impact on Jury Decision Making

University Of Wyoming, Laramie WY

Investigators

Abstract

This research examines juror reasoning and jury decision-making via two experiments. Each of the studies undertaken here is designed to examine individuals' reasoning abilities and how those abilities affect group decision-making. The research builds on Kuhn's 1991 finding that there are two levels of general reasoning, one of which involves satisficing - finding a plausible story and sticking with it, despite non-conforming evidence. The other type of reasoning involves systematic evaluation of evidence for the extent to which it fits alternative stories, and selection of the one with the least discordant information. The experiments examine how jury composition (in terms of the distribution of reasoning levels and pre-deliberation verdict choices within the jury) affect the level of reasoning of the jury as a body. The results should lead to more sophisticated predictions of social decision-making that include measures of individual differences in reasoning.