"Is Jury Selection Art or Science" by Matthew Hutson addresses whether or not jury selection is actually psychology or just a scam. The supposedly "scientific" jury selection uses demographics, statistics, and social psychology to narrow down potential jurors and engineer the perfect set of jurors.
Jury consultants run the jury selection and use psychology to catagorize each juror. They often have to rely on their instincts and their ability to evaluate how people respond to certain situations and watch for nonverbal signals that include frowning, nodding, and movement. Consultans also have to consider how jurors will behave in a room with others as people often repond to peer pressure.
My question for the bloggers:
Do you think that jury selection is a legitimate science and occupation or just a scam run by consultants?
6 comments:
I think that the jury selection is a legitimate science and occupation because each potential jury member is examined and interviewed. While people’s behavior may never be guaranteed, it is generally predictable. The decision of the jury cannot be predicted with hundred percent accuracy, however a persons thinking is definitely predictable. Age, sex, ethnicity and economic status all have influence on a persons thinking.
Jennifer, Why are you so cynical about the interpretation of non-verbal communication from people who may be chosen to serve on a jury?
Behavior Psychology and jury selection are fruit of the same branch.
Science? Do you mean like math... full of certainties? Or do you mean like social science... full of liklihoods?
What made you look at this 2007 article? There are plenty of more interesting observations about jury work out there! Have a look at The Jury Expert - link from www.astcweb.org
Cheers!
I believe that jury selection picks people based on their intelligence. I think this because it would be really stupid if people were picked for a jury just for the heck of it. They probably pick people based on their intelligence, and on how old they are to judge their experience with the world around them.
I think the jury is a legitimate science and occupation because these jury members are chosen for a reason, which usually is their intelligence. I don't think jury members would just be chosen at random because they need people who know how to do their jobs and have had enough experince doing it.
Brendan Hartigan
I think jury selections are science because you are screened beforehand and it is based off your answers to what they ask you. They also match up certain people with certain cases so as people wont be as biased as others. This is all more towards science and not an art.
Gina Grant
I think that jury selection depends on the person who does it. some people may be educated enough to use psychology and can see certain things in people. Others may just be trying to cash in on the scam.
-Randy Amorim
Post a Comment