Saks asks: Does 'CSI' create smarter jurors?

09/04/2008

Does 'CSI' create smarter jurors? Saks wanted to know
Michael Saks 
Michael Saks
     A study by law and psychology Professor Michael Saks and Nick Schweitzer, a doctoral student in psychology at ASU, was highlighted in the new edition of ASU Research Magazine.
      Saks, a Faculty Fellow in the College of Law's Center for the Study of Law, Science, & Technology, and Schweitzer conducted empirical research on jury behavior and whether jurors are influenced by television crime dramas such as CBS' popular "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" series. After questioning dozens of ASU students, the pair concluded that respondents who watched forensic-themed crime shows were more skeptical of evidence, claimed a greater understanding of forensic science and had greater confidence in their verdicts, than those who did not.
     But the study, which was published in the Spring 2007 issue of Jurimetrics: The Journal of Law, Science, and Technology, did not conclude that study participants were more or less likely to convict, according to the article by Diane Boudreau, managing editor and science writer for ASU's Research Publications.
     To read the full article, click here.
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