Englich and Mussweiler (2001)

• What was the main objective of the study described?

  To see if the suggestion given by the prosecutor had any effect on the decisions made by the judge.
• What type of design was used in the study?

  An independent measures design.
• How many young trial judges participated in the study?

  19 young trial judges.
• What was the average age of the judges in the study?

  29.37 years old.
• What was the average experience of the judges in months?

  1. 34 months of experience.
• What case were the participants given to evaluate?

  A case of alleged rape.
• What were the two different sentences demanded by the prosecutor?

  2 months vs. 34 months.
• Who developed the case materials used in the study?

  Experienced trial judges.
• How many senior law students were involved in the study?

  24 senior law students.
• What was the recommended prison term used to determine the anchors?

  17.21 months.
• What were the participants asked to do after reviewing the case?

  They were asked to form an opinion and complete a questionnaire.
• What were the four questions included in the questionnaire?

  1. Do you think the sentence was too low, adequate, or too high? 2. What sentence would you recommend? 3. How certain are you about your sentencing decision? 4. How realistic do you think this case is?
• What was the average sentence given by participants with the low anchor?

  18.78 months.
• What was the standard deviation of the average sentence given by participants with the low anchor?

  1. 11 months.
• What was the average sentence given by participants with the high anchor?

  28.70 months.
• What was the standard deviation of the average sentence given by participants with the high anchor?

  1. 53 months.
• What did the results of the study indicate about the influence of anchors?

  Sentence lengths given by judges are influenced by recommended lengths proposed by prosecutors.
• How do low and high anchors affect sentencing decisions?

  Low anchors lead to shorter sentences, while high anchors lead to longer sentences.
• What is the reason given for the influence of anchors on judges' decisions?

  Due to the high cognitive load of judges.
• What are the strengths and limitations of the study?

  Strengths:

  • True experiment allowed cause and effect to be established.
  • Established a realistic anchor.

  
  

  Limitations:

  • Independent samples lead to participant variability and confounding variables.
  • Small sample size.