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The More You Know: How Adolescent Defendants' Age, Gender, And Psychosocial Maturity Influence Mock Jurors' Perceptions, Isabelle M. Clough
The More You Know: How Adolescent Defendants' Age, Gender, And Psychosocial Maturity Influence Mock Jurors' Perceptions, Isabelle M. Clough
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Adolescents are considered less responsible than adults for criminal behavior due to their developmental immaturity (Cauffman & Steinberg, 2000). When adolescents are transferred from juvenile court to adult court, however, they may be judged by jury members who do not recognize adolescents' diminished maturity nor understand how maturity influences culpability. The present study therefore sought to examine how information about adolescent defendants' age, gender, and psychosocial maturity influences mock jurors' perceptions of responsibility, guilt, and appropriate sentencing severity. A pilot study (N = 113 undergraduates) first determined the most appropriate vignette for the final study: an adolescent charged with hit-and-run …