Thank you for looking into our study. Over the next few pages you will read a description of a case and some jury instructions, and answer some questions about the case. Before participating, please read the information in the official consent document below. 

Upon arriving at the next page, a message box will appear and tell you your random identification number.  You should write this number down.  If you experience any problems or receive any error messages while completing this study, please email Kevin O'Neil at oneilk@fiu.edu immediately and report the content of the error message.  The identification number will help to identify and solve the error.

Please try to complete this study at one time.  If for any reason you are not able to complete the study at one time, you will have to start over.  The experiment takes roughly 25-30 minutes to complete. 

Please note, you must have cookies and JavaScript enabled on your browser in order to participate.  If you click the button below but do not leave this page, your browser is not supporting cookies. Cookies are used only so that you can have a unique identification number for this study; no personal information will be stored in cookies.

Deciding Death Penalty Cases
Informed Consent Form
IRB Approval #101404-01

As a student in the FIU Psychology Participant Pool (enrolled in PSY2020 or other class), you are invited to participate in a research study conducted over the Web. The following information is provided to help you make an informed decision whether or not to participate. Your participation is completely voluntary. You must be at least 18 years old to participate.

Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this study is to examine what factors influence mock jurors' sentencing verdicts in death penalty cases. Participation in this study will require about 25 minutes of your time.

Study Procedures: You will be asked to read a scenario depicting a crime that may involve severe injuries or death and then a summary of evidence about whether the defendant should be sentenced to death, and to answer questions about it on a Web page. You will be asked to imagine you are a juror in the case and to determine a verdict. We will also ask your reaction to various aspects of the cases. You can refuse to answer any question and cease participation at any time.

Risks: The only risk to participating in this study is that you might become upset when you read or render a verdict about the crime, a murder, especially if you or someone you know has suffered harm from similar scenarios. This event is unlikely, but if you are concerned about it you may withdraw from the study at any time.

Benefits: Although this study is not designed to help you personally, you may find the learning experience enjoyable, you may learn a little bit about how psychological research is conducted, and the process may help you better understand the legal process. The information gained from this study will help us better understand the factors that influence jurors in the decision processes in product liability cases.

Privacy: Any information obtained during this study that could identify you will be kept strictly confidential. The study will collect information about your IP address and the browser you are using. No personal information will be placed on your browser by the use of cookies. The personal information collected will be deleted from the database once data collection is completed and compensation has been given. The information gained from this study may be published in scientific journals or presented at scientific meetings, but your identity will be kept strictly confidential.

Compensation: Completion of this study earns partial credit toward the FIU Psychology Participant Pool requirements as outlined by your professor and on www.experimetrix.com/fiu. For participating in this study you will receive 1 hour of credit. You are free to decide not to participate in this study or to withdraw at any time without adversely affecting your relationship with the investigators or Florida International University. If you choose to not participate in this study, you may earn credit through other studies registered with the FIU Psychology Participant Pool at www.experimetrix.com/fiu, or you may contact the Principal Investigator at oneilk@fiu.edu and receive an alternative method of obtaining credit.

Questions: You may ask questions of the experimenter and have those questions answered, before agreeing to participate or during the research. You may call or email the researcher at any time at the number or address listed below. If you have any questions about your rights as a research participant, you may contact the chair of the Florida International University Institutional Review Board, Dr. Jonathan Tubman, at 305-348-3024 or 305-348-2494..

Name and Phone Number of Principal Investigators: 

Kevin M. O'Neil, Ph.D.     (305) 348-3687         oneilk@fiu.edu
Erin Danielsen    erin.danielsen@fiu.edu
Jacqueline Evans    jacqueline.evans@fiu.edu

FIRST, YOU MUST BE JURY-ELIGIBLE IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE.  You must either have a valid drivers license OR be registered to vote.

SECOND, please answer the following questions before beginning.

Strongly Oppose

Strongly Support
A.  With a 1 meaning "strongly oppose" and a 9 meaning "strongly support,"  what is your attitude toward the death penalty?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
B.  Is your attitude toward the death penalty so strong that it would seriously affect you as a juror and interfere with your ability to perform your duties? Yes        No   
C. Do you believe that the death penalty should be imposed in EVERY first-degree murder case?  Yes        No   
D. Do you feel that the death penalty should NEVER be imposed?  Yes        No   

To continue, click on the button below.  By clicking on the link below and beginning the study, you are consenting to participate.  Some pages may take some time to load.  Please be patient.

PARTICIPATION IN THIS STUDY REQUIRES YOU TO READ ALL OF THE FOLLOWING MATERIAL CAREFULLY AND COMPLETELY

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR PROBLEMS, you may contact Kevin O'Neil by Email at oneilk@fiu.edu.

IRB Approval # 101404-01