Jurors are as attentive, engaged during online proceedings as those in courtroom, study finds
As more courts turn to remote proceedings, a new study has found that jurors who deliberate online may be just as attentive, engaged and fair-minded as those who meet face-to-face. (Image from Shutterstock)
As more courts turn to remote proceedings, a new study has found that jurors who deliberate online may be just as attentive, engaged and fair-minded as those who meet face-to-face, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
The study compared 54 mock juries. Of those, 24 met in person and 30 deliberated virtually using the same civil trial materials. Across most measures, the two formats produced nearly identical results, according to the association.
“Despite concerns that virtual formats substantially reduce jurors’ attention or change the nature of their deliberations, virtual jurors thoroughly processed relevant evidence and reportedly expended more effort in doing so,” said Krystia Reed, an assistant psychology professor at the University of Texas at El Paso and the study’s lead researcher, in an interview with Newswise.
Researchers recruited 317 participants from upstate New York (61% women, 86% white, average age 48.7) who watched a videotaped mock civil trial based on a fictional motor vehicle accident. Each of the mock juries was tasked with reaching a unanimous verdict and determining damages for two plaintiffs suing a trucking company for negligence.
Researchers recorded and analyzed every deliberation, comparing the groups’ attention, engagement, interaction patterns and diversity.
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