In a Murder Case Involving a Six-Person Jury, Five of the Jurors

question 22

Multiple Choice

In a murder case involving a six-person jury, five of the jurors think the defendant is guilty and one thinks the defendant is not guilty. In another murder case involving a 12-person jury, ten think the defendant is guilty and two think the defendant is not guilty. Based on Asch's research on conformity, and all other things being equal, what predictions can be made about the likelihood that the jurors in the minority in these two trials will resist the pressures exerted by those in the majority to change their verdicts?

• A) The minority in the smaller jury should be less likely to maintain his or her independence because the minority in the smaller jury has no allies in dissent.
• B) The minority in the larger jury should be less likely to maintain their independence because the majority in the larger jury is comprised of more people.
• C) Because the proportion of majority to minority jurors is equivalent in these two juries, the minorities should be equally likely to maintain their independence.
• D) If the evidence in both cases is ambiguous, the minority in the smaller jury should be less likely to maintain his or her independence; but if the evidence in both cases is unambiguous, there should be no difference between the juries.

---

Definitions:

Capital Projects

Large-scale investments undertaken by a firm to maintain or expand its business operations.

Earnings Per Share

A portion of a company's profit allocated to each outstanding share of common stock, serving as an indicator of the company's profitability.

Reverse Stock Splits

A corporate action in which a company reduces the number of its existing shares to increase the share price without changing the company's market capitalization.

Cash Dividends

Distributions of a portion of a company's earnings, decided by the board of directors, to a class of its shareholders in the form of cash.