Misguided Instructions: Do Jurors Accurately Understand the Law in Death Penalty Trials?

The Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees individuals’ right to trial by an impartial jury. However, empirical research indicates that the jury system is flawed, especially regarding judicial sentencing instructions. More specifically, jurors frequently misunderstand or misinterpret State patterned instructions. On a more encouraging note, there is evidence that comprehension of jury instructions can be improved. Thus, this research assessed improvement in juror comprehension using revised sentencing instructions. For the current investigation, participants included 201 volunteers called for jury duty in Western Tennessee. Data were generated via a questionnaire, which allowed for the collection of information relating to participants’ understanding of the sentencing instructions. Findings suggest that comprehension is low when jurors are only exposed to instructions written by the State. Furthermore, when jurors were given a more detailed explanation of certain problematic terminology, comprehension significantly increased. Policy implications of this research and directions for future improvement are discussed

Visual Representation of Women in Media

https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/feminist_zines/1040/thumbnail.jp

Objectivism and subjectivism: cross-national variation in values and domain-life satisfaction relationships

There have been many attempts to ascertain the predictors of wellbeing. The goal of this thesis is not to evaluate individual theories but to challenge the assumptions that underlie them. Specifically, this thesis endeavours to determine whether there is evidence of universality in the predictors of wellbeing through an investigation of subjectivism and objectivism. In the former, pro-attitudes and values are thought to determine the predictors of wellbeing; in the latter, 'goods' with inherent value are proposed to do so universally. Global life satisfaction and life domain satisfaction were selected to operationalize subjectivism and objectivism, respectively. Cross-national comparisons were selected under the presumption that cultural values are internalized at the individual level. This assumption was validated through analysis of the World Values Survey, which revealed significant cross-cluster and cross-national variation in self-reported domain importance scores (family, friends, leisure time, politics, work and religion). Empirical analysis of both independently collected data and the Eurobarometer revealed similar cross-cluster and cross-national differences in domain-life satisfaction relationships (health, family, social life, personal safety, financial situation, home life and job). It was concluded these findings supported subjectivism: the predictors of wellbeing are not universal, but vary as a function of values

Cross-national variation in the domain-life satisfaction relationships: secondary analyses of the eurobarometer.

Wellbeing research is implicitly guided by two theoretical approaches: subjectivism and objectivism. Objectivists argue that the predictors of wellbeing are universal, whereas subjectivists emphasise the role of values. The aim of the present research was to assess these two views in the context of wellbeing research by conducting a secondary analysis of the Eurobarometer. This database includes satisfaction ratings of both life and specific domains (e.g. health, family, social life, personal safety, financial situation, home life, job and neighbourhood). Regression analyses revealed significant cross-national variation in domain-life satisfaction relationships, to the extent that none were universal. Direct cross-national comparison of these relationships revealed significant differences and further validated these findings. Variation in these relationships refutes the core premise of objectivism and indicates that subjectivism is a more appropriate framework for psychological research into wellbeing. In order to consolidate these findings, future research should incorporate other predictors of wellbeing, such as personality

Cross-national variation in the predictors of wellbeing: Life domains and positive personality traits.

Background: Previous research has demonstrated cross-national variation in domain-life satisfaction relationships, with neither health, family, social life, personal safety, financial situation, home life or job satisfaction being universal predictors of wellbeing. The largest limitation of this previous research was a lack of appropriate control variables. Past research has shown that personality traits are powerful predictors of wellbeing, with three particularly important constructs being self-esteem, optimism and self-efficacy. Aims: The present study examined whether after controlling for positive personality traits, domain-life satisfaction relationships would vary cross-nationally and whether a direct cross-national comparison of domain-life satisfaction would reveal significant differences. It was predicted that the cross-national differences would be smaller than those found using more countries with greater cross-cultural differences. Methods: These hypotheses were tested using an online survey with samples from the USA and India, recruited using Mechanical Turk. Results: Both hypotheses were supported in that there was cross-national variation in domain-life satisfaction relationships, even after controlling for positive personality traits. In the Indian sample, health, financial and job satisfaction predicted life satisfaction. Amongst Americans, family, social life, financial situation and home satisfaction predicted it. Direct comparison revealed significant differences in the predictive power of home and job satisfaction, supporting the second hypothesis. As expected, the differences noted in this study were smaller than those revealed through our analysis of the World Values Scale and Eurobarometer. Conclusions: Domain life satisfaction relationships vary cross-nationally, even when personality traits are controlled

Cross-national variation in the predictors of wellbeing: life domains and positive personality traits

Background: Previous research has demonstrated cross-national variation in domain-life satisfaction relationships, with neither health, family, social life, personal safety, financial situation, home life or job satisfaction being universal predictors of wellbeing. The largest limitation of this previous research was a lack of appropriate control variables. Past research has shown that personality traits are powerful predictors of wellbeing, with three particularly important constructs being self-esteem, optimism and self-efficacy. Aims: The present study examined whether after controlling for positive personality traits, domain-life satisfaction relationships would vary cross-nationally and whether a direct cross-national comparison of domain-life satisfaction would reveal significant differences. It was predicted that the cross-national differences would be smaller than those found using more countries with greater cross-cultural differences. Methods: These hypotheses were tested using an online survey with samples from the USA and India, recruited using Mechanical Turk. Results: Both hypotheses were supported in that there was cross-national variation in domain-life satisfaction relationships, even after controlling for positive personality traits. In the Indian sample, health, financial and job satisfaction predicted life satisfaction. Amongst Americans, family, social life, financial situation and home satisfaction predicted it. Direct comparison revealed significant differences in the predictive power of home and job satisfaction, supporting the second hypothesis. As expected, the differences noted in this study were smaller than those revealed through our analysis of the World Values Scale and Eurobarometer. Conclusions: Domain life satisfaction relationships vary cross-nationally, even when personality traits are controlled

Dielectric spectroscopy of pressurized Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Results of broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker’s yeast), in situ as the function of pressure are presented. They show a clear evidence of a threshold to the new pattern of the pressure evolution of the static dielectric permittivity and DC electric conductivity already for P t  ≈ 200MPa at T = 5o C and P t  ≈ 300MPa at T = 25o C. BDS monitoring versus pressure tests up to P = 400MPa revealed particularly notable changes of properties after 30 minutes of compressing. Finally, the correlation between the amount of the spectrophotometric maximum absorbance and the DC electric conductivity was found. All these indicate significance of BDS as the tool for testing of pressure properties of cells assemblies, model foods etc., in situ under high pressures