The Influence of Sex and Agreeableness on Juror Perceptions of Expert Testimony.docx

 Utilizing a 2 (Expert Witness Agreeableness: Agreeable vs. Disagreeable) x 2 (Expert Witness Sex: Male vs. Female) between-subjects design, this study investigated the influence of expert witness agreeableness and sex on mock juror decision making in a case of murder. Participants read mock expert witness testimony, rendered a verdict, rated their verdict confidence, completed several case-related measures, and then rated perceptions of the expert witness (e.g., agreeableness, honesty, likability). It was hypothesized that the disagreeable female expert would be rated most negatively and the agreeable male expert most positively, which in turn, would affect mock jurors’ perceptions of expert credibility and verdict decisions.