Social Psychology in the Court Copyright © 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Social Psychology by David G. Myers 8 th Edition Social Psychology in the Court

Copyright © 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Eyewitness Testimony How persuasive is eyewitness testimony? How accurate are eyewitnesses? The misinformation effect Retelling Feedback to witnesses

Social Psychology in the Court Copyright © 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Eyewitness Testimony Reducing Error –Train police interviewers –Minimize false lineup identifications –Educate jurors

Social Psychology in the Court Copyright © 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Other Influences on Judgments The defendant’s characteristics –Physical attractiveness –Similarity to the jurors The judge’s instructions

Social Psychology in the Court Copyright © 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. The Jurors as Individuals Juror comprehension Jury selection “Death-qualified” jurors © David Young-Wolff/Tony Stone Images

Social Psychology in the Court Copyright © 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. The Jury as a Group Minority influence Group polarization Leniency Are 12 heads better than 1? Are 6 heads as good as 12?