BEAUTIFUL AND BLAMELESS - EFFECTS OF VICTIM ATTRACTIVENESS AND RESPONSIBILITY ON MOCK JURORS' VERDICTS

• NCJ Number: 59578
• Journal: Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin Volume: 4 Issue: 3 Dated: (JULY 1978) Pages: 479-482
• Author(s): N L KERR
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 4 pages
• Corporate Author: Soc for Personality and Social Psychology
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A STUDY EXPLORING THE EFFECTS OF PHYSICAL ATTRACTIVENESS OF THE VICTIM OF A CRIME AND THE VICTIM'S RESPONSIBILITY IS DISCUSSED; THE LATTER FACTOR WAS MANIPULATED IN TERMS OF THE VICTIM'S CARE IN AVOIDING VICTIMIZATION.

Abstract

THE CASE INVOLVED WAS CHOSEN SO THAT THE BEHAVIOR OF THE VICTIM WAS CLEARLY EXTRALEGAL, UNLIKE THE RAPE CASES USED IN PREVIOUS RESEARCH. THE SUBJECTS WERE 268 MALE AND 142 FEMALE STUDENTS FROM INTRODUCTORY PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY CLASSES. THE BASIC DESIGN WAS A 2 (VICTIM ATTRACTIVENESS) X 2 (VICTIM CARE) X 2 (JUROR SEX) FACTORIAL. SUBJECTS WERE RUN IN GROUPS OF FIVE TO EIGHT PERSONS AND RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EXPERIMENTAL CONDITIONS. THEY WERE ASKED TO ACT AS MOCK JURORS FOR AN AUTOMOBILE THEFT CASE WHICH PURPORTEDLY HAD BEEN TRIED SEVERAL YEARS EARLIER. SUBJECTS WERE TOLD THAT PHOTOGRAHS OF THE PRINCIPAL TRIAL PARTICIPANTS HAD BEEN INCLUDED IN THE TRANSCRIPTS IN ORDER TO MAKE THEIR CONSIDERATION OF THE CASE AS SIMILAR TO THE ACTUAL JURY'S AS POSSIBLE. VICTIM ATTRACTIVENESS WAS MANIPULATED BY INSERTING ONE OF SIX PRESCALED FACIAL PHOTOS OF THE FEMALE VICTIM. THE CARE FACTOR WAS VARIED THROUGH THE VICTIM'S TESTIMONY, I.E., IN THE HIGH CARE CONDITION THE VICTIM HAD REMOVED HER KEYS AND LOCKED THE CAR PRIOR TO THE THEFT. THE MAIN DEPENDENT VARIABLE, THE VERDICT, WAS ANALYZED. TWO SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS WERE NOTED. FIRST, ATTRACTIVENESS HAD AN EFFECT ONLY WHEN THE VICTIM SHOWED CARE, WITH CONVICTION MOST LIKELY WHEN THE VICTIM WAS BOTH BEAUTIFUL AND BLAMELESS. SECOND, VICTIM CARE PER SE WAS SALIENT FOR THE FEMALE JURORS ONLY. THE RESULTS CLEARLY SHOWED THAT MOCK JURORS' VERDICTS MAY BE INFLUENCED BY THE EXTRA-LEGAL FACTORS OF VICTIM APPEARANCE AND BEHAVIOR. PREVIOUS RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT THE MORE POSITIVELY A VICTIM IS DESCRIBED, THE HARSHER MOCK JURORS ARE TOWARDS THE DEFENDANT. THE SAME RESULT IS OBTAINED HERE, BUT ONLY WHEN THE VICTIM IS RELATIVELY BLAMELESS. REFERENCES AND FOOTNOTES ARE INCLUDED IN THE ARTICLE. (LWM)