A meta-analysis of the association between authoritarianism and jurors' perceptions of defendant culpability.

Abstract

Despite scholarly criticism, juror attitudes or individual differences might affect verdict choice in criminal trials. Authoritarianism is a face valid predictor. Twenty studies exploring the authoritarianism-verdict relation were meta-analyzed to test this hypothesis. Authoritarianism measure (traditional or legal), subject type, presentation medium of trial, and type of crime were examined as moderators of the effect. Results support an authoritarianism-verdict relation and the moderator effect of authoritarianism type. Legal authoritarianism correlated more strongly with verdict. Subject type, presentation medium, and type of crime were also significant moderators. Implications for future research, as well as for legal and judicial practice, are discussed