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Presentation Type
Presentation
Full Name of Faculty Mentor
Melissa Baker, Psychology
Major
Psychology
Presentation Abstract
The goal of the study was to examine how gender relates to mock jurors’ perceptions of police officer use of force in a criminal trial scenario. Previous research suggests perceptions of police are affected by various demographic factors such as prior contact, age, social class, and race/ethnicity. For example, those who come from economically disadvantaged neighborhoods and minorities view police officers less favorably than their counterparts (Dukes & Hughes, 2004; Geistman & Smith, 2007; Paine & Gainey, 2007). Little research has been conducted on how mock juror gender and police officer gender impacts decisions during trials involving police use of excessive force. In the present study, we investigated if police officer gender and juror gender influenced juror decisions in a criminal trial describing a police officer being charged with violating a civilian’s civil rights by using excessive force. Participants read a criminal trial vignette, viewed video footage of the police officer-civilian interaction, and were asked to render a verdict of guilty or not guilty. Demographic information was also gathered from the participants. Data collection is ongoing, but preliminary results indicate female mock jurors are more likely to find the police officer guilty compared to male mock jurors. There are no significant findings for the factors of police officer gender or an interaction effect, which may be due to a lack of power (N=60). The limitations of the current study as well as the implications of the results will be discussed during the presentation.
Start Date
12-4-2023 1:40 PM
End Date
12-4-2023 2:00 PM
Disciplines
Psychology
Recommended Citation
Leo, Samantha, "The Relationship Between Mock Juror Gender and Police Officer Gender on Judgments of Police Use of Force" (2023). Undergraduate Research Competition. 48.
https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/ugrc/2023/fullconference/48
The Relationship Between Mock Juror Gender and Police Officer Gender on Judgments of Police Use of Force
The goal of the study was to examine how gender relates to mock jurors’ perceptions of police officer use of force in a criminal trial scenario. Previous research suggests perceptions of police are affected by various demographic factors such as prior contact, age, social class, and race/ethnicity. For example, those who come from economically disadvantaged neighborhoods and minorities view police officers less favorably than their counterparts (Dukes & Hughes, 2004; Geistman & Smith, 2007; Paine & Gainey, 2007). Little research has been conducted on how mock juror gender and police officer gender impacts decisions during trials involving police use of excessive force. In the present study, we investigated if police officer gender and juror gender influenced juror decisions in a criminal trial describing a police officer being charged with violating a civilian’s civil rights by using excessive force. Participants read a criminal trial vignette, viewed video footage of the police officer-civilian interaction, and were asked to render a verdict of guilty or not guilty. Demographic information was also gathered from the participants. Data collection is ongoing, but preliminary results indicate female mock jurors are more likely to find the police officer guilty compared to male mock jurors. There are no significant findings for the factors of police officer gender or an interaction effect, which may be due to a lack of power (N=60). The limitations of the current study as well as the implications of the results will be discussed during the presentation.