Vinson Katherine V, Costanzo Mark A, Berger Dale E
Claremont, CA 91711, USA.
Behav Sci Law. 2008;26(2):167-86. doi: 10.1002/bsl.807.
This research investigated demographic and attitudinal- psychological predictors of verdict and amount of punitive damages awarded in high-stakes civil litigation. Four hundred and forty-six surrogate jurors, selected to be representative of actual jurors, were exposed to realistic case presentations in insurance, tobacco, and pharmaceutical cases that were about to go to trial. Hierarchical regression revealed that perceptions of the existence of a litigation crisis predicted verdict in the tobacco and pharmaceutical cases after controlling for all other variables. Demographic variables predicted verdict and punitive damage awards only modestly and in different ways in the three cases. Need for cognition, strength of will and rationality, and a perception that there is a litigation crisis predicted the amount of punitive damages awarded in the tobacco case. Litigation crisis also predicted the amount of punitive damages awarded in the pharmaceutical case. Implications for jury selection are discussed.
本研究调查了高风险民事诉讼中判决结果及惩罚性损害赔偿金额的人口统计学和态度心理预测因素。选取了446名具有实际陪审员代表性的代理陪审员，让他们接触即将进行审判的保险、烟草和制药案件的真实案例陈述。分层回归分析表明，在控制了所有其他变量后，对诉讼危机存在的认知预测了烟草和制药案件的判决结果。人口统计学变量对三个案件判决结果及惩罚性损害赔偿裁决的预测作用较小，且方式各异。认知需求、意志力和理性程度，以及对存在诉讼危机的认知，预测了烟草案件中惩罚性损害赔偿的金额。诉讼危机也预测了制药案件中惩罚性损害赔偿的金额。文中讨论了对陪审团挑选的启示。
