Dateline: January, 2008, Issue 1
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Do female or male prosecutors get more convictions?
Male jurors, though not female jurors, respond differently to male and female attorneys.
Pfeifer (1988) compared reactions of male and female jurors to a male and female prosecutor. The male and female prosecutor both used a "dominant" nonverbal communication style. Male jurors, though not female jurors, found defendants guilty less often when the prosecutor was female.
In sum, when both attorneys use a dominant communication style, a male prosecutor receives more guilty verdicts from male jurors than a female prosecutor. Male and female prosecutors receive the same number of guilty verdicts from female jurors.
Source: Pfeifer, J. E. (1988). Courtroom prejudice: An application of symbolic sexism. Contemporary Social Psychology, 13, pp. 1-8.
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