Looks Sway Court Decisions

[n2doc]

By Rick Nauert, Ph.D., Senior News Editor, PsychCentral.com
posted: 21 May 2010 02:12 pm ET

Although justice is supposed to be "blind," a new study finds that attractiveness influences conviction and sentence length.

Cornell University researchers found that unattractive defendants are 22 percent more likely to be convicted, and tend to get hit with longer, harsher sentences – with an average of 22 months longer in prison recommended by the study's participants.

The study identified two kinds of potential jurors: Those who reason emotionally and give harsher verdicts to unattractive defendants, and those who reason rationally and focus less on defendants' looks.

One processes information based on facts, analysis and logic. The other reasons emotionally and may consider such legally irrelevant factors as a defendant's appearance, race, gender and class, and report that the less-attractive defendant appeared more like the "type of person" who would commit a crime.

"Our hypothesis going in was that jurors inclined to process information in a more emotional/intuitive manner would be more prone to make reasoning errors when rendering verdicts and recommending sentences. The results bore out our hypothesis on all measures," said lead researcher Justin Gunnell.

The study, "When Emotionality Trumps Reason," will be published in an upcoming issue of the peer-reviewed journal Behavioral Sciences and the Law.

more

http://www.livescience.com/culture/looks-sway-court-decisions-100521.html

[Captain Hilts]

1. We think better of attractive people, worse of unattractive people. Now called the "Boyle" effect

Here you go:

http://www.google.com/search?q=susan+boyle+effect+psychological&hl=en&lr=&start=10&sa=N

[Captain Hilts]

2. "Halo Effect" vs. "Boyle Effect." nt