6. Priest Accountant Bus Driver Student Professor Hair Dresser Cashier Nurse Engineer Journalist Mom Introduction
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16. Procedures Participants randomly assigned to one of four groups: Note-Taking No Note-Taking Juror Training Group 1 Group 3 No Juror Training Group 2 Baseline Control
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Editor's Notes
Reisberg (2007) describes the strong influence of language in molding our thoughts. By directing our attention to particular details of our experiences, the language we speak and the language we hear form new connections with our prior knowledge, therefore, is critical to a person’s ability to learn; without these relevant connections, the ability to learn new concepts is severely compromised.
Such lack of prior knowledge and framework may be the case with novices to our legal system, particularly citizens who are selected to serve on a jury trial. This disadvantage is especially true when it comes to complex legal language. With complex legal terms, often communicated through difficult and confusing oral and written language, many jurors have nothing, or very few exemplars, to which to connect complex information.
Reisberg (2007) describes the strong influence of language in molding our thoughts. By directing our attention to particular details of our experiences, the language we speak and the language we hear form new connections with our prior knowledge, therefore, is critical to a person’s ability to learn; without these relevant connections, the ability to learn new concepts is severely compromised.
Such lack of prior knowledge and framework may be the case with novices to our legal system, particularly citizens who are selected to serve on a jury trial. This disadvantage is especially true when it comes to complex legal language. With complex legal terms, often communicated through difficult and confusing oral and written language, many jurors have nothing, or very few exemplars, to which to connect complex information.
Most have no previous experience with or knowledge about the legal system and specific aspects of law, but are tasked with recalling critical details of evidence from trial, making decisions on a defendant’s guilt or innocence and, if guilty, deciding the penalty, which in capital sentencing, can mean a person’s life or death.
The intent of both plaintiff and defense in a jury trial is to try and influence the jury, who is the final decision-maker on the verdict and the responsible party on awarding damages, if necessary. As mentioned, the only decision-making assistance afforded the jury are prior knowledge and the judges’ charge, or instructions. Since most jurors have very little prior knowledge of legal processes, the jury instructions, therefore, are currently the critical piece and may be the only attempt to provide the concepts for which jurors need to connect and organize complex information in order to make decisions. However, even with simplified judges’ instructions and demonstrated improvement in juror understanding, comprehension remains deplorably low. Although research has shown that less complicated jury instructions do provide marginal benefit, it may be more helpful to provide jurors with additional resources on which to increase their connections.
Reisberg (2007) describes the strong influence of language in molding our thoughts. By directing our attention to particular details of our experiences, the language we speak and the language we hear form new connections with our prior knowledge, therefore, is critical to a person’s ability to learn; without these relevant connections, the ability to learn new concepts is severely compromised.
Reisberg (2007) describes the strong influence of language in molding our thoughts. By directing our attention to particular details of our experiences, the language we speak and the language we hear form new connections with our prior knowledge, therefore, is critical to a person’s ability to learn; without these relevant connections, the ability to learn new concepts is severely compromised.