Doctoral Dissertation Research: The Use of Pinpoint Instructions to Improve Juror Instructional Comprehension in Capital Cases

University Of California-Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz CA

Investigators

Abstract

This study explores the potential of a new type of jury instructions to improve the longstanding problem of juror instructional comprehension. The present study examines the viability of "pinpoint" instructions, or instructions that provide explicit examples to help jurors understand traditionally abstract concepts, and make direct reference to the facts presented at trial. Two-hundred jury-eligible community members will observe a realistic videotaped simulation of a capital penalty phase trial. Following the simulated trial, participants (randomly assigned to one of three groups) will hear one of three sets of instructions: the traditional California pattern jury instructions; psycholinguistically improved instructions; or "pinpoint" instructions modified to include case-specific factual examples to explain abstract concepts for jurors. At the conclusion of the trial and instructions, participants will be asked to indicate a verdict choice, complete a comprehension measure (designed to gauge comprehension levels in various ways), and to provide demographic information. Comprehension levels of the three groups will be examined and compared to determine whether and to what extent pinpoint instructions improve comprehension.