COURT TEAMS’ DECISION-MAKING: THE ROLES LOGIC, PERSONALITY, LIFE EXPERIENCES & VALUES PLAY Tom Langhorne, Esq. The Langhorne Group, Inc.

MBTI IN THE COURTS  EXTROVERTS Avoid over scheduling Avoid “ruling from the hip;” Contemplate Avoid viewing “I”s as less credible Avoid interrupting others Allow time for others to respond Don’t resist to making unpopular decisions Be patient with long decision making processes Spend time on complicated issues Can be seen as meandering or superficial 

MBTI IN THE COURTS  INTROVERTS Share your thoughts/reasoning more easily Communicate more openly and readily Explain conclusions; don’t just announce it Avoid viewing “E”s as rambling, glib Work hard to move decision making along Well thought out decisions- take too long? Can be seen as independent and stubborn 

MBTI IN THE COURTS  SENSING Look for meaning behind the data: patterns Ask “Why” & “What’s the reasoning behind this” Don’t get “bogged down” in details Listen to “hunches” before making a decision Work on flexibility Don’t view “N’s” as less credible Can be seen as dogmatic, preoccupied with rules 

MBTI IN THE COURTS  INTUITIVES Simplify your message Give examples when explaining Take notes Don’t overlook important facts/details May be unrealistic estimating length of task Can be perceived as impractical rebels who break the rules 

MBTI IN THE COURTS  THINKING Practice “empathetic listening” skills Be open to exceptions Avoid appearing too “detached” Be comfortable with feelings being expressed Consider decisions’ impact on people/human needs 

MBTI IN THE COURTS FEELING Strive for consistency Don’t take decisions home Don’t let emotions overrule rational processes May not be comfortable confronting

MBTI IN THE COURTS  JUDGING Suspend judgment until … Don’t push decision making along too fast Avoid rushing witness/lawyers to closure Develop tolerance for some “disorganization” in courtroom Avoid interpreting guidelines literally and without deviation Develop patience with courtroom participants 

MBTI IN THE COURTS  PERCEIVERS Avoid procrastinating Avoid prolonging decision-making Don’t overlook deadlines Resist allowing team members taking excessive time (pull the trigger) Strive for more methodical approach Integrate “planning” strategies  Source: “Personality Type and Judicial Decision Making,” The Judges Journal, Summer 1998, John W. Kennedy, Jr.

THE LOGIC: AVOIDING COMMON ERRORS IN LOGIC AND REASONING

DEDUCTIVE “TOP DOWN” REASONING (FROM GENERAL TO SPECIFIC) THEORY 1 HYPOTHESIS 2 OBSERVATION 3 CONFIRMATION 4 INDUCTIVE “BOTTOM UP” REASONING (FROM SPECIFIC OBSERVATIONS TO BROADER GENERALIZATION) THEORY 4 TENTATIVE HYPOTHESIS 3 PATTERN 2 OBSERVATION 1

REFLECTIONS & REACTIONS: THE LUNCH DATE Describe these characters... Woman wearing a hat Man who bumps into her Man eating salad at dinner

REFLECTIONS & REACTIONS: THE LUNCH DATE 1)What did you find yourself doing, thinking, observing or feeling during video? 2)Did your perceptions of the characters change as you received more information? 3)Are your reactions to the film relevant to your work in the courts system?

WHAT IS ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING THINGS DECISION MAKERS MUST DO ON A DAILY BASIS?

SUSPENDING JUDGMENT UNTIL...

WE HAVE SUFFICIENT INFORMATION

When we look at other people, often we... Notice differences Mistakenly assume other information about person Then “notice” behaviors, attitudes we expect to see E.g., Brown/Blue-Eyed Students Experiment

HOW DO WE ELIMINATE BIAS IN OUR COURTS? 1)Inventory our beliefs about “different others” 2)Practice monitoring our reactions – Ask “Why?” 3)Train ourselves about our “assumptions”

HOW DO WE ELIMINATE BIAS IN OUR COURTS? 4)Know that differences are not better or worse 5)Realize our life experiences color our perceptions 6)Suspend judgment until... !

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