EQUITY THEORY AND THE LAW: AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY TO ASSESS THE EFFECTS OF BELIEF IN A JUST WORLD ON THE SENTENCING BEHAVIOR OF MOCK JURORS

摘要

The effects of selected extra-evidential factors on the decision-making of mock jurors were investigated. The propositions of Equity Theory were employed as a conceptual framework for understanding the dynamics of the judicial process.;The present research was designed to replicate and extend the findings of the prototype mock juror study conducted by Landy and Aronson (1966). The experimental procedures employed by Landy and Aronson were adapted for use in the current research. In addition to the traditional predictions regarding the impact of the participants' relative character attractiveness, the present study investigated the impact of mock jurors' Just World Belief on their sentencing behavior. It was hypothesized that mock jurors reporting high Just World Belief would sentence defendants to longer prison terms than jurors with low Just World Belief.;The results of the data analyses provided partial support for the Landy and Aronson hypotheses and failed to support the predictions regarding Just World Belief. The absence of the effect of the defendant's character attractiveness on the sentencing behavior of mock jurors was attributed to the intervention of the potentially confounding variable of defendant suffering.;Comparison of the sentencing patterns of the high and low Just World Belief jurors suggested that high believers may base their sentencing decisions, in part, on the attributes of the victim, and low believers may base their sentencing decisions, in part, on the attributes of the defendant.;Finally, an extension of the equity theory formula was proposed. It was suggested that future research focus upon the verification of the elements and relationships described in the extension formula.