Effects of Emotional Testimony and Gruesome Photographs on Mock Jurors' Decisions and Negative Emotions. Issue 1 (2nd January 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Matsuo, Kayo; Itoh, Yuji
• Is Part Of: Psychiatry, psychology, and law. Volume 23:Issue 1(2016)
• Page Start: 85
• Page End: 101
• Publication Date: 2016-01-02
• Subjects: emotional testimony -- gruesome photographs -- juror -- negative emotion -- verdict decision; Criminal psychology -- Periodicals; Forensic psychiatry -- Periodicals; Mentally ill offenders -- Periodicals; 345.9404
• DOI: 10.1080/13218719.2015.1032954
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1321-8719

Abstract

Abstract : The present study investigated the combined and individual effects of emotional testimony and gruesome photographs on mock jurors' verdict decisions and emotions. Participants ( n = 127) were provided with a murder trial transcript and then rendered verdicts in a 2 (emotional testimony: present, absent) × 2 (gruesome photographs: present, absent) between-groups design. They also rated their negative emotions before and after the transcript. The results indicated a combined effect of emotional testimony and gruesome photographs on verdict decisions: the emotional testimony alone had a significant effect on guilty verdicts while the gruesome photographs had only a marginally significant effect. Negative emotions were aroused by the emotional testimony when the gruesome photographs were not presented. The impact of emotional evidence on verdict decisions is discussed.