How do juries decide?
Simon Garrod
University of Glasgow
Outline
• Communication & Decision-making
• Group size affects communication process
– Smaller groups good for obtaining consensus
– Larger groups are more influenced by dominant
members
• Implications for:
– Decision-making teams, juries etc.
Two kinds of communication
process
• Non-interactive Information Transfer
• Interactive Information Alignment
• What happens in a group discussion?
Theories of Human
Communication(1)
Information Transfer Model
Sender
Information
Receiver
– Non-interactive
– Monologue (e.g., reading/writing, listening to a
lecture)
Broadcast Model
• Monologue group
discussion sequence
Theories of Human
Communication(2)
Interactive Alignment Model
Comm1
–
–
–
–
Information
Comm2
Two-way interactive process
Establishes consensus or agreement
Overhearers are at a disadvantage
Dialogue (e.g., face-to-face conversation)
Alignment Model
• Dialogue group
discussion sequence
Group Size & Communication
• Large groups - Non-interactive broadcast
– Long contributions, few interruptions
– Poor at establishing consensus
• Small groups - Interactive alignment
– Short contributions, more interruptions, more
ABA speaker patterns
– Good at establishing consensus
Communication and decisionmaking
• Broadcast Model
– Group members should be influenced most by
those who speak the most.
• Alignment Model
– Group members should be influenced most by
those with whom they interact the most
Who influences whom in small &
large groups
(Fay, Garrod & Carletta, 2000)
Read Plagiarism Scenario
Rank 13 Key Issues
e.g. Severity of plagiarism,
Prior record of student...
Rank 13 Key Issues
e.g. Severity of plagiarism,
Prior record of student...
Rank 13 Key Issues
e.g. Severity of plagiarism,
Prior record of student...
Group Discussion
20 minutes
Rank 13 Key Issues
e.g. Severity of plagiarism,
Prior record of student...
Rank 13 Key Issues
e.g. Severity of plagiarism,
Prior record of student...
Rank 13 Key Issues
e.g. Severity of plagiarism,
Prior record of student...
Who speaks most?
Who influences whom?
• High interaction vs. low interaction pairings
– 2 highest vs 2 lowest
– Groups of five all, groups of ten top five
• Dominant vs. non-dominant speaker
– Groups of five & groups of ten 1st vs. 5th
highest contributors
Influence of High/Low
Interactants
Baseline
High Interaction
Low interaction
1.2
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
Group 5
Group 10
Influence of Dominant Speaker
Baseline
Dominant
Non-dominant
1.2
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
Group 5
Group 10
Interaction measures
45
40
35
30
25
Group5
20
Group 10
15
10
5
0
turn length
interruptions%
ABA%
What is a large group?
Conclusions & Implications
• Group size affects communication &
decision-making (< 8 vs >7)
• Large groups - influenced by dominant speakers
• Small groups - good for establishing consensus
• Implications for
– size of juries, business teams, committees etc.
– Seating position of decision groups
Seating & Interaction