Student Work

The Effects of Perspective Taking and Victim Impact Statements on Courtroom Decisions

Public

Downloadable Content

open in viewer

This research examined the influence of perspective taking with a defendant and emotionality of victim impact statements on courtroom decisions. We hypothesize that perspective taking with the defendant will limit the effects of emotionality within victim impact statements. In Study 1 a statement prompted participants to perspective take with a defendant in a murder trial. Participants also viewed either flat or high emotionality victim impact statements. Study 2 replicated study one, but instead primed participants to perspective take with the defendant using a sentence unscrambling task. The results of Study 1 were inconclusive. Study 2 found that perspective taking with the defendant diminished the influence of the emotionality of the victim impact statements on sentencing and empathy.

  • This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.
Creator
Publisher
Identifier
  • E-project-042413-205314
Advisor
Year
  • 2013
Date created
  • 2013-04-24
Resource type
Major
Rights statement
Last modified
  • 2021-02-03

Relations

In Collection:

Items

Items

Permanent link to this page: https://digital.wpi.edu/show/nc580p45h