Date

8-29-2025

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)

Chair

David DiBari

Keywords

Juror psychology, implicit bias, forensic psychology, depression, juror decision-making

Disciplines

Psychology

Abstract

This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of people with depression as they participated in the juror experience to understand the relationship between depression, implicit biases, and the impacts on juror decision-making. Ten adults with depression participated in the experiment which consisted of being presented with a mock assault case vignette, responding to interview questions, and then being presented with new information about the defendant’s mental health condition, after which additional interview questions were asked. Three research questions guided the study, and they sought to understand if there were shared patterns in the decision-making process, in perceptions of culpability, and perceptions of the role of mental health. A thematic analysis revealed key themes across participants, such as the development of empathic emotions in jurors, recommendations for reduced sentencing, objectivity in decision-making, provocation impacting culpability, culpability being shared between the defendant and the victim, a preference for rehabilitation over punishment, and general perceptions of mental health as a defense. These findings highlight the intricacies of implicit bias and how individual characteristics, such as their experiences with depression, can influence juror decision-making.

Download

Included in

Psychology Commons

Share

COinS