Stranger Rape or Impromptu Consensual Sex? Investigating Mock Juror Decision‐Making in a Genuine Contested Rape Trial

StatusVoR
Simple item page
dc.abstract.enThe aim of this study was to better understand juror decision-making in a less typical rape trial scenario where even prior acquaintance is disputed. Adopting an improved mock trial paradigm including a video-recorded recreation of a genuine rape allegation and jury-group deliberation, 156 jury-eligible participants took part in 1 of 13 identical 12-person mock trials. Pre-trial, a psychosocial questionnaire was conducted and post-trial, juries deliberated attempting to reach a unanimous verdict. Regression analyses revealed that male jurors, those with greater belief in rape myths and lower scores in interpersonal manipulation were most likely to return not guilty verdicts pre-deliberation. Post-deliberation, increased self-esteem and rape myth acceptance scores were associated with not guilty verdict selections. Female and Caucasian jurors were most likely to change their decision following group-deliberation. This research has important implications for understanding the role that juror biases can have on rape trial outcomes with jury reform initiatives discussed.
dc.affiliationFaculty of Psychology, Wroclaw
dc.affiliationWydział Psychologii we Wrocławiu
dc.contributor.authorWillmott, Dominic
dc.contributor.authorWoodhams, Rosie
dc.date.access2026-04-06
dc.date.accessioned2026-04-20T07:20:12Z
dc.date.available2026-04-20T07:20:12Z
dc.date.created2025-12-03
dc.date.issued2026-04-06
dc.description.abstract<jats:title>ABSTRACT</jats:title> <jats:p> The aim of this study was to better understand juror decision‐making in a less typical rape trial scenario where even prior acquaintance is disputed. Adopting an improved mock trial paradigm including a video‐recorded recreation of a genuine rape allegation and jury‐group deliberation, 156 jury‐eligible participants took part in 1 of 13 identical 12‐person mock trials. Pre‐trial, a psychosocial questionnaire was conducted and post‐trial, juries deliberated attempting to reach a unanimous verdict. Regression analyses revealed that male jurors, those with greater belief in rape myths and lower scores in interpersonal manipulation were most likely to return <jats:italic>not guilty</jats:italic> verdicts pre‐deliberation. Post‐deliberation, increased self‐esteem and rape myth acceptance scores were associated with <jats:italic>not guilty</jats:italic> verdict selections. Female and Caucasian jurors were most likely to change their decision following group‐deliberation. This research has important implications for understanding the role that juror biases can have on rape trial outcomes with jury reform initiatives discussed. </jats:p>
dc.description.accesstimeat_publication
dc.description.issue2
dc.description.physical169-180
dc.description.sdgGoodHealthAndWellBeing
dc.description.sdgQualityEducation
dc.description.sdgGenderEquality
dc.description.sdgReducedInequalities
dc.description.sdgPeaceJusticeAndStrongInstitutions
dc.description.versionfinal_published
dc.description.volume44
dc.identifier.doi10.1002/bsl.70032
dc.identifier.eissn1099-0798
dc.identifier.issn0735-3936
dc.identifier.urihttps://share.swps.edu.pl/handle/swps/2307
dc.identifier.weblinkhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bsl.70032
dc.languageen
dc.pbn.affiliationpsychologia
dc.rightsCC-BY
dc.rights.questionYes_rights
dc.share.articleOTHER
dc.subject.enjuror bias
dc.subject.enjury decision-making
dc.subject.enrape myths
dc.subject.ensexual violence
dc.subject.enstranger rape
dc.swps.sciencecloudsend
dc.titleStranger Rape or Impromptu Consensual Sex? Investigating Mock Juror Decision‐Making in a Genuine Contested Rape Trial
dc.title.journalBehavioral Sciences and the Law
dc.typeJournalArticle
dspace.entity.typeArticle