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An attributional sequence model of jury decision making in civil torts
Elizabeth R Spievak1, Robert F Bettler
1Department of Psychology, Bridgewater State College, 90 Burrill Ave., Bridgewater, MA 02325, USA. espievak@bridgew.edu
Abstract:
A jury simulation study was designed to replicate and extend prior research on attributional decision-making sequences in a litigation context. Although previous studies implicated injury severity, causality, responsibility, and punishment, a maximum of three stages in various combinations were tested, and only occasionally in the context of civil litigation. The present effort integrated all four stages into a more inclusive model focused on civil jury decision making. Undergraduate participants (N=91) read six case vignettes and responded to attribution questions in each of four categories. Path analyses supported the hypothesized 4-stage attributional sequence.
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