Jordoson, Caluri and Solan presented their research project, 鈥淎libi Believability and Judicial Instructions: The Role of Inculpatory and Exculpatory Evidence,鈥 at the 2022 Spring Undergraduate Research Forum.
Criminal Justice Studies minors Jeppe Overgaard Jordoson 鈥23 and Grace Caluri 鈥24, along with Sophie Solan 鈥22 presented their research project, 鈥淎libi Believability and Judicial Instructions: The Role of Inculpatory and Exculpatory Evidence,鈥 at the 2022 Spring Undergraduate Research Forum on April 26.
The research project, mentored by Professor of Psychology and Director of Undergraduate Research Meredith Allison, used an online experimental vignette design to examine alibi believability. Specifically, they examined the impacts of exculpatory evidence, inculpatory evidence and judges鈥 instructions on alibi evidence on respondents鈥 evaluations of believability.
The researchers found that exculpatory evidence in the absence of prosecutors鈥 physical evidence increased alibi believability. Moreover, judges鈥 instructions had no effect on respondents鈥 evaluations of believability, consistent with prior studies that show that jurors largely ignore judges鈥 instructions.