Interactions between Need for Cognition and Ambivalent Sexism in Jurors’ Perceptions of Expert Credibility

Authors

Trina Iyamuremye Uwineza, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Morgan Hurtz, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Laurel Westerman, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
Erika Boohar, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Kaela Meyer, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Halleigh Kelchen, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Sarah Eagan, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Sarah Gervais, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

Spring 4-14-2020

Document Type

Poster

Citation

Uwineza, T., Hurtz, M., Westerman, L., Boohar, E., Meyer, K., Kelchen, H., Eagan, S., & Gervais, S. (2020, April). Interactions between Need for Cognition and Ambivalent Sexism in Jurors’ Perceptions of Expert Credibility. Poster for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Undergraduate Research Fair, Lincoln, NE.

Comments

Copyright 2020 Trina Uwineza, Morgan Hurtz, Laurel Westerman, Erika Boohar, Kaela Meyer, Halleigh Kelchen, Sarah Eagan, & Sarah Gervais

Abstract

The current study examined interactions between Need for Cognition scores (NCS) and Ambivalent Sexism scores (ASI; Hostile (HS) and Benevolent sexism (BS)) on perceptions of expert witness credibility. Participants (N = 467) with ages that ranged from 19–70 years (M=26.35, SD=9.20) completed the Need for Cognition Scale (Cacioppo & Petty, 1982), Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (Glick & Fiske, 1996), and Witness Credibility Scale (Brodsky, Griffin, & Cramer, 2010), and viewed a female expert witness providing scientific testimony in a civil trial. We hypothesized that 1) men who were low on need for cognition and high on benevolent sexism would perceive the female expert as less credible, and 2) men who were low on need for cognition and high on hostile sexism would perceive the female expert as less credible. Three-way ANOVAS were run and showed that Low NCS scores were significantly related to high BS (F=5.496, p=.020) among male jurors, and Low NCS were significantly related to high overall ASI for men (F=10.021, p=.002), but not for women (F=.390, p=.532). There was a significant three-way interaction of NCS, BS and juror gender on WCS for the female expert witness (F=7.230, p=.007). Hypothesis 1 was partially supported, since Low NCS scores were significantly related to less witness credibility, especially for men high in BS (*F=5.496, p=.020). Additionally, women with high NCS scores and high BS (*F=4.429, p=.036) were also significantly related to more witness credibility. Hypothesis 2 was not supported, because there was not a significant three-way interaction between NCS, HS and juror gender on WCS (F=.099, p=.753).