Graduation Year
2025
Document Type
Senior Thesis
Degree
Bachelor of Arts
Primary Major
Psychology
Second Major
Social Justice
Primary Minor
Pre-Law
Thesis Advisor
Benjamin Rosenberg, PhD
Abstract
This experiment examines the influence of implicit bias awareness on juror decision-making in cases involving Hispanic defendants. Explicitly, it tests three hypotheses: (1) bias-educated jurors will demonstrate lower conviction rates for Hispanic defendants, (2) these jurors will report higher confidence in their verdicts, and (3) they will show greater awareness of how their previous experiences influence their decision-making. This experiment uses a mock jury paradigm to investigate whether bias awareness interventions affect verdict decisions and juror confidence levels in cases with Hispanic defendants. Ninety participants were randomly assigned to receive or not receive implicit bias education before reviewing a case study with a Hispanic defendant. Following verdict decisions, participants rated their confidence levels and reported whether prior experiences influenced their decision-making. The findings indicated that implicit bias instructions, given along with regularly administered ones, have a positive impact on a juror’s ability to stay objective to evidence. There were no significant findings regarding confidence or influence of previous experience. Understanding this dynamic is crucial for developing practical strategies to enhance impartiality in legal proceedings while maintaining the efficiency of the judicial process.
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Civil Procedure Commons, Courts Commons, Criminal Law Commons, Judges Commons, Law and Psychology Commons, Law and Race Commons, Psychology Commons