FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE JURY DECISION-MAKING - DISPOSITION INSTRUCTIONS AND MENTAL STATE AT THE TIME OF THE TRIAL

Investigated whether information regarding the disposition of insanity acquittees, and the defendant's mental state at the time of the trial , had a significant effect on mock jurors' verdicts. Two trials were u sed to assess whether results generalize across cases. Participants re ad excerpts from a trial in which the accused's mental state at the ti me of the trial (symptom free, neurotic symptoms, or psychotic symptom s) and the disposition instructions (no instructions, indeterminate di sposition, and capped disposition) were varied. Participants then rend ered a verdict of guilty, not guilty, or not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder (NCRMD). Participants who thought the accu sed was psychotic at the time of the trial were more likely to render a verdict of NCRMD than guilty, and they were more likely to render a verdict of NCRMD than those who thought the accused was normal. No sig nificant differences were found for disposition. Finally, a significan t difference for verdicts was found between trials.