Summary
The main research question is whether mock juries hold a bias against defendants of different races and if this bias has an effect on the eventual conclusion of the case. This research question was extended to have both a positive and a negative connotation of if minority defendants are discriminated against and majority defendants favored. The methodology used is an extensive literature review of experimental studies within the aforesaid subject. The results of the study showed that there was both a positive bias towards the majority and a negative bias towards the minority race. When considered together, these findings showed that a small but significant racial bias exists in mock juror decision making.
Critique of the Article
Appropriateness of the Methodology
The methodology was appropriate since it created the capability of achieving what an actual experimental study may have cost too much to achieve. The experiment was not geared towards a novel field but rather towards better understanding an area where research had been inconclusive. An experimental study would have required a very wide array of experiments which might have been too expensive and also taken too long. Further, the data necessary for the research entailed two different components of research which would have necessitated experiments that are differently formatted to as to fit the different criteria. Finding out which experiments were conducted correctly then combining their data into one study was, therefore, the most appropriate path to follow. However, there was a massive flaw in the experiment methodology that almost negates the good work done by the researchers. The idea behind understanding jury bias is geared towards understanding the topic of racism and also improving the criminal justice system. Mock juries are used because real trials cannot be manipulated. Manipulation is no longer necessary in a meta-analysis. The researchers should, therefore, have enhanced reliability and credibility by studying actual cases.
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Appropriateness of the Conclusions
The small margins of bias shown towards minority defendants are augmented by the positive bias given to the majority defendants. Whereas each of the respective bias is clearly too small to be conclusive, the combination of the two makes for tangible bias. In this premise, the conclusion made in the experiment fits the results that were elicited from the study. The discussion part is also logical and leads to the conclusions made thus being a right one.
How to Improve the Study
Mock juries know that the trail in question is simply for study and is not real. Their conduct will be significantly different when the life of another human being is at stake or when an actual human being has been harmed. This research would be exponentially improved if actual jury cases were studied and compared as opposed to a mock trial.
One Strength of the Study
Among the main strengths of the instant study is the ability of the researchers to focus primarily on the research and therefore get a more sober understanding of the issues. In an experimental study, planning the experiment sometimes takes the focus away from the actual issues pertinent to the study. By the time the researchers collect and analyze data, they may already have a bias. This weakness was eliminated through a meta-analysis study making it a positive attribute of the study.
Question Arising From the Study
If race was used as a factor to select juries in a mock trial or even real criminal trials so that the jury trying the defendant is dominated by that defendant’s race, would it increase or reduce bias?
