Document Type

Honors Project

First Advisor

Dr. Donald Witters

Degree Award Date

Spring 1992

Keywords

gender orientation, religious devoutness, Verdict Decisions

Disciplines

Civic and Community Engagement | Gender and Sexuality | Social Psychology and Interaction | Sociology

Abstract

This study examined the effects of juror traits on verdict decisions in battered wife homicide trials. More specifically, juror gender orientation and religious devoutness were explored as predictors of verdicts. 210 subjects were given the Bem Sex Role Inventory and the Connecticut Mutual Life religion scale, as well as a fictitious, written trial testimony of a battered wife accused of killing her husband. After reading standardized juror instructions and the testimony, subjects individually reached a verdict decision and entered it on the questionnaire. Chi-square analyses were done to test for significant relationships between gender type or religiosity and verdict, and an analysis of variance was done to check for an interactive effect. No significant relationships were found, however, suggesting that neither gender orientation or religiosity has predictive value on verdict decisions in domestic violence cases.

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