Inside the Juror: The Psychology of Juror Decision Making

Cambridge Series on Judgment and Decision Making

by Reid Hastie (Editor)

How jurors come to a verdict in a trial is a fascinating topic with many unexpected aspects. Inside the Juror presents the most interesting and sophisticated work to date on juror decision making from several traditions--social psychology, behavioral decision theory, cognitive psychology, and behavioral modeling. The authors grapple with crucial questions, such as: Why jurors who hear the same evidence and arguments in the courtroom enter the jury room with disagreements about the proper verdict and how biases and prejudices affect jurors' decisions. And just how "rational" is the typical juror? As an introduction to the scientific study of juror decision making in criminal trials, Inside the Juror provides a comprehensive and understandable summary of the major theories of juror decision making and the research that has been conducted to evaluate their validity.

288 pages, Paperback

First published February 26, 1993