ATTITUDINAL AND NORMATIVE BELIEFS UNDERLYING INDIVIDUAL PERCEPTIONS OF JUROR SERVICE

• NCJ Number: 53193
• Journal: Journal of Social Psychology Volume: 106 Dated: (DECEMBER 1978) Pages: 207-213
• Author(s): R M DURAND; W O BEARDEN; G E ASHWORTH JR; A W GUSTAFSON
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 7 pages
• Corporate Author: Journal Press
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE ATTITUDES AND BELIEFS OF 136 MEN AND WOMEN FOLLOWING 1 WEEK OF JURY DUTY ARE EXAMINED IN A STUDY OF INDIVIDUAL PERCEPTIONS OF THE PUBLIC'S ROLE AS JURORS.

Abstract

THE STUDY SOUGHT TO DETERMINE WHETHER INDIVIDUAL INCLINATIONS TO SERVE AS JURORS ARE AFFECTED PRIMARILY BY INDIVIDUAL ATTITUDES OR BY NORMATIVE INFLUENCES FROM THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT, WHICH SPECIFIC CONSEQUENCES OR ATTRIBUTES OF JURY SERVICE MOST DETERMINE ATTITUDES TOWARD SERVICE, AND WHICH REFERENT GROUPS HAVE THE GREATEST IMPACT ON INDIVIDUAL INTENTIONS TO SERVE AS JURORS. STUDY SUBJECTS, WHO HAD SERVED ON JURIES IN THE CAPITAL OF A LARGE SOUTHERN STATE, ANSWERED QUESTIONS ABOUT VARIOUS CONSEQUENCES OR ATTRIBUTES ASSOCIATED WITH JURY DUTY (SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY, FINANCIAL COMPENSATION, TREATMENT BY COURT PERSONNEL, TIME UTILIZATION, INFORMATION DISSEMINATION, LENGTH OF SERVICE); THE RELATIVE INFLUENCES OF OTHERS WITHIN THEIR SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT (CLOSE FRIENDS, IMMEDIATE FAMILY, EMPLOYER); THEIR OVERALL ATTITUDES TOWARD JURY SERVICE; AND THEIR INTENTIONS TO SERVE AGAIN WHEN NEXT CALLED. THE FINDINGS REVEAL THAT BEHAVIOR RELATIVE TO JURY SERVICE MAY BE GOVERNED LARGELY BY INDIVIDUAL ATTITUDES RATHER THAN BY NORMATIVE INFLUENCES. THE CRITICAL DIMENSION OF JURY DUTY AFFECTING JUROR INTENTIONS TO SERVE AGAIN APPEARS TO BE THE BELIEF THAT JURY PARTICIPATION IS A WORTHWHILE SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY. NO TABULAR DATA ARE INCLUDED. A LIST OF REFERENCES IS PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)