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Abstract

[Simulated Juries : A Review of Several Studies]

A non-evaluative review is given of simulated jury studies, using the actual development of a trial as a guide for structuring divergent materials. Tentative conclusions are given at the end of each section. Three of these are salient: 1. Liking of the defendant, due to similarity or to attractiveness (especially socially), leads to greater leniency towards the defendant; 2. Impression formation is relevant for the way the information received is assimilated by the jury. The number and the order of presentation of arguments have been studied and revealed to be important for the final judgments; 3. The jury deliberation can induce important shifts in opinions. The main function of it seems to be to enable the majority to persuade the minority to agree with them.