Phalen Hannah J, Bettis Taylor C, Bean Samantha R, Salerno Jessica M
Department of Psychology, University of Wyoming, 1000 E University Ave, Laramie, WY 82071, USA.
Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, 503 Library Dr, Lexington, KY 40508, USA.
Behav Sci (Basel). 2025 Jul 16;15(7):965. doi: 10.3390/bs15070965.
Legal actors often discuss emotion-based decisions and reasoned evaluation of the facts as distinct and opposite methods through which jurors can reach conclusions. However, research suggests that emotion can have an indirect effect on juror decisions by changing the way that jurors evaluate the facts of the case. In three studies ( = 713, = 677, = 651), we tested whether mock jurors' negative moral emotions towards the defendant predicted their evaluations of case evidence and in turn their case judgments and whether judicial rehabilitation could reduce this effect. Participants read a civil case and were randomly assigned to either receive judicial rehabilitation or not. Then, they completed measures relating to their negative moral emotions towards the defendant, their agreement with plaintiff and defense evidence, and case judgments. When participants reported increased negative emotions towards the defendant, they agreed more with unrelated plaintiff evidence and less with unrelated defense evidence. In turn, they voted liable more often and awarded more in damages. Judicial rehabilitation did not reduce this effect. This research provides support for the idea that there is a more complicated relationship between emotion and decisions than legal actors suggest. Specifically, negative emotions towards the defendant are associated with a pro-plaintiff evaluation of evidence and pro-plaintiff judgments.
法律行为者常常将基于情感的决策和对事实的理性评估视为陪审员得出结论的两种截然不同且相反的方式。然而，研究表明，情感可以通过改变陪审员评估案件事实的方式，对陪审员的决策产生间接影响。在三项研究中（N1 = 713，N2 = 677，N3 = 651），我们测试了模拟陪审员对被告的负面道德情感是否能预测他们对案件证据的评估，进而预测他们的案件判断，以及司法修复是否能减少这种影响。参与者阅读了一个民事案件，并被随机分配接受或不接受司法修复。然后他们完成了与对被告的负面道德情感、对原告和辩方证据的认同以及案件判断相关的测量。当参与者报告对被告的负面情绪增加时，他们对不相关的原告证据的认同度更高，而对不相关的辩方证据的认同度更低。相应地，他们更频繁地投票判定有罪，并判给更多的损害赔偿金。司法修复并没有减少这种影响。这项研究支持了这样一种观点，即情感与决策之间的关系比法律行为者所认为的更为复杂。具体而言，对被告的负面情绪与对原告证据的支持性评估以及对原告的判决相关联。
