An Attributional Sequence Model of Jury Decision Making in Civil Torts
Keyword(s):
A jury simulation study was designed to replicate and extend prior research on attributional decision-making sequences in a litigation context. Although previous studies implicated injury severity, causality, responsibility, and punishment, a maximum of three stages in various combinations were tested, and only occasionally in the context of civil litigation. The present effort integrated all four stages into a more inclusive model focused on civil jury decision making. Undergraduate participants ( N = 91) read six case vignettes and responded to attribution questions in each of four categories. Path analyses supported the hypothesized 4-stage attributional sequence.