Representation and Inference in Juror Reasoning - Two Illustrative Analyses

• NCJ Number: 83104
• Author(s): N Pennington; R Hastie
• Date Published: 1980
• Length: 28 pages
• Grant Number(s): 78-NI-AX-0146
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: This paper was presented at the second annual meeting of the Cognitive Science Society in New Haven, Connecticut, June, 1980.

Annotation

Theoretical and empirical work is presented on the characterization of 'story' representation and inference processes involved in the comprehension and decisionmaking of jurors' reasoning about a legal trial.

Abstract

Extensive posttrial protocol analyses are used to obtain data on juror information processing. The representation of the story or stories induced from the case materials (filmed murder trial) are identified and summarized using a Schank and Abelson style causal event chain and goal/plan hierarchy analysis. The structure and content of inferences underlying the causal representation are identified and characterized using Allan Collin's (1979) theory of human plausible reasoning. The adequacy of these schemes in characterizing talk-aloud protocol text is examined for two juror protocols. Figures and six references are supplied. (Author abstract modified)