Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 24, 2026

A Contusive Model of Unilateral Cervical Spinal Cord Injury Using the Infinite Horizon Impactor
Published on: July 24, 2012
The effects of limiting punitive damage awards
E Greene1, D Coon, B Bornstein
1Department of Psychology, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs 80933-7150, USA.
Tort reform capping punitive damages did not inflate compensatory awards. However, removing the option to award punitive damages led jurors to significantly increase compensatory awards.
Area of Science:
- Law and Social Science
- Psychology
- Economics
Background:
- Concerns exist regarding excessive and unpredictable jury awards in tort cases.
- State legislatures have implemented tort reform, including capping punitive damage awards, to address these concerns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of capping punitive damage awards on jury decisions.
- To investigate if punitive damage caps cause jurors to inflate compensatory awards when defendant conduct is reprehensible.
Main Methods:
- A jury analogue study was conducted to examine the effects of punitive damage caps.
- Compared juror awards under unlimited punitive damages versus capped punitive damages.
Main Results:
- Capping punitive damages did not lead to an inflation of compensatory awards.
- Jurors without the option to award punitive damages assessed significantly higher compensatory awards.
Conclusions:
- Punitive damage caps do not appear to cause compensatory award inflation.
- Removing the option for punitive damages may lead to higher compensatory awards, with significant policy implications.
More Related Videos
08:05A Procedure to Study Stress-Induced Relapse of Heroin Seeking after Punishment-Imposed Abstinence
Published on: March 23, 2022
08:24The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies
Published on: August 25, 2023
Related Concept Videos
Torts II
Torts III
Quasi-intentional torts in healthcare involve acts where intent is not directed to harm an individual but results in harm due to careless or reckless speech.
Punishment
Punishment can be positive or negative. Positive punishment involves adding an undesirable stimulus, such as scolding, to decrease a behavior. Negative punishment involves removing a desirable stimulus, such as taking away a favorite toy, to decrease behavior.
Timing and Consequences on Behavior
Humans, however, can respond to delayed reinforcers. We often make decisions between immediate small rewards and delayed larger rewards. This ability to delay gratification is a significant factor...
Halo Effect
Limit Laws I