ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the impact of request for large sums of money, complex economic forecasting, and conflicting claims for damages on juror's decision making. The hypothesis that jurors blindly accept expert testimony was evaluated in a study that examined the use of evidence obtained from polygraph tests. The present research involved a mock jury study designed to evaluate the impact of expert testimony on juror's calculations of damage awards. In addition to the factual summary, opening and closing statements, and expert testimony for the plaintiff, it included expert testimony by an economist for the defendant. In summary, the analyses of monetary awards indicated that expert testimony influenced awards in an upward direction. The most frequently occurring award for lost salary was the precise amount suggested by the plaintiff's expert, and the next most frequent award was the amount cited by the defense.
