The role of representativeness and cognitive elaboration in judging the probability of a suspect's guilt

Louise Almond; Laurence Alison; Gaelle Villejoubert

The role of representativeness and cognitive elaboration in judging the probability of a suspect's guilt

Louise Almond, Laurence Alison, Gaelle Villejoubert

Research output: Contribution to conference › Poster › peer-review

Abstract

This study examined how individuals form subjective probability judgments of guilt. Naïve participants and police officers were asked to produce a description of an offender based on background information about a child sex offence. Following this, two suspects were described and participants were asked to estimate the probability that they were guilty. Similarity judgments were also recorded. Results showed that guilt probability judgments were extremely varied. Participants who deemed the suspect to be similar to their own description also thought he was more likely to be guilty, especially when their description resulted from an elaborate processing of the background information.

Original language	English
Publication status	Published - 21 Nov 2010
Event	31st Annual Conference of the Society for Judgment and Decision Making - St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. Duration: 19 Nov 2010 → 22 Nov 2010

Conference

Conference	31st Annual Conference of the Society for Judgment and Decision Making
Period	19/11/10 → 22/11/10

Bibliographical note

Organising Body: Society for Judgment and Decision Making

Keywords

Psychology

Cite this

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title = "The role of representativeness and cognitive elaboration in judging the probability of a suspect's guilt",

abstract = "This study examined how individuals form subjective probability judgments of guilt. Na{\"i}ve participants and police officers were asked to produce a description of an offender based on background information about a child sex offence. Following this, two suspects were described and participants were asked to estimate the probability that they were guilty. Similarity judgments were also recorded. Results showed that guilt probability judgments were extremely varied. Participants who deemed the suspect to be similar to their own description also thought he was more likely to be guilty, especially when their description resulted from an elaborate processing of the background information.",

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author = "Louise Almond and Laurence Alison and Gaelle Villejoubert",

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AU - Alison, Laurence

AU - Villejoubert, Gaelle

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N2 - This study examined how individuals form subjective probability judgments of guilt. Naïve participants and police officers were asked to produce a description of an offender based on background information about a child sex offence. Following this, two suspects were described and participants were asked to estimate the probability that they were guilty. Similarity judgments were also recorded. Results showed that guilt probability judgments were extremely varied. Participants who deemed the suspect to be similar to their own description also thought he was more likely to be guilty, especially when their description resulted from an elaborate processing of the background information.

AB - This study examined how individuals form subjective probability judgments of guilt. Naïve participants and police officers were asked to produce a description of an offender based on background information about a child sex offence. Following this, two suspects were described and participants were asked to estimate the probability that they were guilty. Similarity judgments were also recorded. Results showed that guilt probability judgments were extremely varied. Participants who deemed the suspect to be similar to their own description also thought he was more likely to be guilty, especially when their description resulted from an elaborate processing of the background information.

KW - Psychology

M3 - Poster

T2 - 31st Annual Conference of the Society for Judgment and Decision Making

Y2 - 19 November 2010 through 22 November 2010

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