The Effect of Race and Personality on Mock Jurors' Decisions

Summary

The present study examined the effects of the race of the mock juror, defendant, and victim and the impact of the juror's personality on his verdict. Subjects, 191 black and white university students who were pretested for dogmatism and Machiavellianism, heard taped descriptions of a trial in which the race of the defendant and the race of the victim were varied. Subjects were requested to indicate the likelihood of guilt of the defendant. Mock juror's race and level of dogmatism and race of the defendant and the victim had an impact on perceptions of the defendants' guilt. There is a strong indication that dogmatism had differing dynamics for black and white subjects.