JURY PRECONCEPTIONS AND THEIR EFFECT ON EXPERT SCIENTIFIC TESTIMONY

• NCJ Number: 59429
• Journal: Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 24 Issue: 3 Dated: (JULY 1979) Pages: 681-691
• Author(s): R L TANTON
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 11 pages
• Corporate Author: American Acad of Forensic Sciences
• Sale Source: Institute for Scientific Information
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

TWO RANDOM SURVEYS OF 88 AND 102 SUBJECTS, RESPECTIVELY, EXAMINED POTENTIAL JURORS' PRECONCEPTIONS OF THE FORENSIC SCIENTIST. THE RESPONSES WERE USED TO TEST MOLLOY'S CONTENTIONS CONCERNING EXPERT WITNESSES.

Abstract

MOLLOY (1977) HAS EXTENSIVELY STUDIED THE EFFECTS OF DRESS ON INTERPERSONAL EVALUATIONS AND FOUND THAT, ESPECIALLY IN LIMITED INTERACTIONS SUCH AS COURT TESTIMONY, SEEMINGLY INNOCUOUS VARIATIONS IN AN INDIVIDUAL'S DRESS CAN SIGNIFICANTLY INFLUENCE HIS PROFESSIONAL EVALUATION BY OTHERS. TO TEST THIS THEORY, SURVEYORS ASKED SUBJECTS TO IMAGINE THAT THEY WERE JURORS IN A SERIOUS TRIAL AND THAT AN EXPERT WITNESS HAD JUST BEEN CALLED TO TESTIFY. SUBJECTS WERE ASKED TO DESCRIBE THE SEX, AGE, ANNUAL SALARY, SOCIOECONOMIC GROUP, APPEARANCE, AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS EXPERT WITNESS AND THEN OF AN EXPERT WITNESS OF THE OPPOSITE SEX. FOR SURVEY B, SUBJECTS SELECTED ONE PHOTOGRAPH, TEN PAIRS THAT BEST REPRESENTED AN EXPERT WITNESS WITH A SIZABLE KNOWLEDGE IN HIS OR HER FIELD. THE PHOTOGRAPHS DEPICTED MALE AND FEMALE WITNESSES IN VARIOUS TYPES OF DRESS AND DEMEANOR. CLASSIFICATION AND ANALYSIS OF THE RESPONSES FOR BOTH SURVEYS REVEALED THAT THE PRECONCEIVED EXPERT IS A WELL-DRESSED, DARK-SUITED MALE OF ABOUT 44 YEARS WHO IS EMPLOYED BY AN INDEPENDENT LABORATORY, MAKES A SIZABLE SALARY, AND IS ABLE TO RESPOND TO QUESTIONS IN A CONTROLLED AND KNOWLEDGEABLE MANNER. HIS FEMALE COUNTERPART IS AROUND 37 YEARS OF AGE, IS EQUALLY WELL DRESSED, AND IS EMPLOYED BY AN INDEPENDENT LABORATORY OR THE GOVERNMENT. SHE RESPONDS TO QUESTIONS CALMLY, THOUGH SOMETIMES WITH NERVOUSNESS. APPARENTLY, PERSONS DO MAKE PROFESSIONAL EVALUATIONS BASED ON APPEARANCE SINCE SUBJECTS ASKED TO SELECT THE PHOTOGRAPH OF THE MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE EXPERT OVERWHELMINGLY CHOSE THE MAN AND WOMAN WHOSE APPEARANCE MOST CLOSELY CORRELATED WITH THE STATED PRECONCEPTIONS. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SIMILAR FIELD TESTS ARE PRESENTED. REFERENCES AND TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED. (DAG)