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Alibi believability: Corroborative evidence and contextual factors
Meredith Allison1, Sandy Jung2, Amanda C Benjamin1
1Elon University, Elon, NC, USA.
Behavioral Sciences & the Law
|July 9, 2020
Summary
Mock jurors found alibis more believable when supported by strong physical evidence. The timing of alibi disclosure and crime type had less impact on believability, though delayed disclosures negatively affected defendant character perceptions.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Law
- Forensic Science
Background:
- Wrongful convictions can stem from disbelief in alibis.
- Lack of corroborating evidence and contextual factors influence alibi believability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine how corroborative evidence and disclosure timing affect alibi believability.
- To investigate the influence of crime type and number of corroborators on mock juror perceptions.
Main Methods:
- Two online studies were conducted with mock jurors.
- Participants evaluated investigation and trial descriptions, rating alibi believability, defendant traits, and verdicts.
Main Results:
- Strong physical evidence significantly increased alibi believability.
- Delayed alibi disclosure negatively impacted perceptions of defendant character.
- The number of corroborators and crime type did not significantly affect outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Corroborative physical evidence is a critical factor in alibi believability.
- Contextual factors like disclosure timing and crime specifics have a lesser, though notable, impact.
- Future research should explore these dynamics further.
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