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The Influence of Offender Race, Risk Level, and Participant Emotion on Juvenile Probation Case Judgments
Author(s) -
Petty Taylor,
Wiener Richard L.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
analyses of social issues and public policy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.479
H-Index - 31
eISSN - 1530-2415
pISSN - 1529-7489
DOI - 10.1111/asap.12173
Subject(s) - psychology , race (biology) , anger , juvenile , juvenile delinquency , social psychology , economic justice , clinical psychology , developmental psychology , political science , botany , genetics , law , biology
Abstract Research has consistently demonstrated minority youth are treated unfairly within the juvenile justice system, yet little research has explored the psychology of juvenile probation judgments and the ways they contribute to disparate treatment. This article reports on two experiments that explored the influence of participant fear on juvenile probation judgments by varying the offender's race (Black or White) and risk information across two studies which invoked fear, anger or no emotion in participants. In Study 1, fearful participants who received no risk information were more likely to recommend a control‐oriented supervision approach for a Black offender, but not a White offender. Fearful participants who received moderate risk information were not influenced by the offender's race. Study 2 increased the amount of risk information (Low, Moderate, High), such that all participants received some risk information. Participants relied on the risk information to make their decisions, and we found no biasing race or emotion effects.