Archive | Jury Behavior

Leadership styles

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On July 13, 2021

Category: Jury Behavior, Jury Consultants, Jury Deliberations, Litigation Consultants, Litigation Research, Litigation Tips, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Psychology, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting

Many people wonder how leaders emerge. Some people endorse the view that certain people are “born leaders,” while others believe leadership is a skill that is acquired. Organizational psychologists have studied leaders, leadership, and leadership styles for decades to determine what traits separate effective leaders from leaders who lack effectiveness, the situations in which leadership […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 13, 2021

Category: Jury Behavior, Jury Consultants, Jury Deliberations, Litigation Consultants, Litigation Research, Litigation Tips, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Psychology, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting

I often learn new things in reading what Melissa has written. As someone whose graduate work was in the Organizational Behavior field (the business school version of I/O psychology), leadership is a familiar topic. But, considering her perspective on how leadership plays out in the jury decision making process is enlightening. Melissa is the expert […]

Heuristical thinking

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On May 5, 2021

Category: Getting the Job Done, Jury Behavior, Jury Research, Litigation Research, Litigation Tips, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Psychology, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting

Biases and heuristics often, but not always, go hand in hand. While bias is attributed to the absence of reflective thought, leading to limitations in judgment, heuristics are used intentionally when making inferences. Heuristics are common sense reasoning strategies employed by laypersons. They are “shortcuts” that accelerate the decision making process. Heuristics may or may […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On May 5, 2021

Category: Getting the Job Done, Jury Behavior, Jury Research, Litigation Research, Litigation Tips, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Psychology, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting

Magnus’ reports often contain a section entitled “Heuristics” and, when I’m showing our sample report to prospective clients, I usually have to explain what a heuristic is and why it is important. I typically explain that heuristics are the ways that the jurors relate to a case – in their own language. Whether it is […]

Social desirability

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On April 27, 2021

Category: Business Frustrations, Business personalities, Careers, Employment, Jury Behavior, Jury Consultants, Litigation Tips, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Managing Employees, Psychology, Small Business Success

Social desirability has important implications in jury selection. Social desirability refers to the phenomenon of saying or doing something because “everybody else” does. For example, when an attorney or a judge asks a prospective juror whether he/she can put aside all biases, predisposed beliefs, and personal feelings and instead, be an impartial judge of the […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On April 27, 2021

Answering a question in a socially desirable way implies there is a “right” or expected answer, to some degree. In the basic courtroom questioning of prospective jurors as to whether they “can be fair,” it is pretty obvious that one is not expected to say “no”. Being fair is a fundamental trait that most people […]

Sorting out responses and non responses

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On March 4, 2021

Category: Getting the Job Done, Jury Behavior, Jury Consultants, Litigation Consultants, Litigation Tips, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting

A few months ago, Melissa and I were talking with one of our favorite clients, Buddy Schulz, when he commented that Melissa’s job during jury selection involved sorting out responses, and non responses, of potential jurors. He was noting that it is one thing to evaluate what someone says during jury selection (or perhaps with […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On March 4, 2021

Category: Getting the Job Done, Jury Behavior, Jury Consultants, Litigation Consultants, Litigation Tips, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting

Jury selection involves, at least for me, interpreting and de-coding the things people say and do and the things they don’t say or do. In fact, I spend just as much time observing the nuances of people’s behavior as I do in listening to the words they say. When a potential juror is being questioned […]

Altruists and Narcissists

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On December 8, 2020

Category: Business personalities, Business Relationships, Careers, Common Courtesy, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Giving Back, Growing Old is Not for Sissies, Jury Behavior, Life Outside of Work, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Psychology, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting, Work-Life

As a follow up to my last post containing the self assessment survey, I will outline several characteristics that differentiate altruists from narcissists. First of all, some definitions are in order, lest there be any doubt about these terms. An altruist is a person who has concern for other people’s welfare. He or she can […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On December 8, 2020

Givers or takers. Perhaps that is another way to relate to this topic. The world has too many examples of narcissists; it is easy to identify many of them in the political realm. Because politics is public, it is easiest to see them, though narcissists are certainly not limited to politics. Examples from the business […]

Putting Technology to Use

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On December 3, 2020

Category: Careers, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Jury Behavior, Jury Consultants, Litigation Consultants, Litigation Tips, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Marketing your Business, Small Business Success, Travel, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting

I was prompted to write this, and the prior post, because of Magnus’ recent move. The move necessitated discarding many tools which have been useful during our careers in trial consulting. When we started Magnus in late 1993, Melissa began to receive invitations to speak to groups of lawyers, insurance adjusters, and law school students. […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On December 3, 2020

Thanks, in large part, to David, Magnus has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to using the most up to date technology. I have been making presentations to large audiences for my entire career. In the old days, when I was Director of Marketing Research at a large urban hospital, an A/V […]

How Well do You Know Yourself?

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On December 1, 2020

Category: Business Partnerships, Business personalities, Careers, Common Courtesy, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Giving Back, Growing Old is Not for Sissies, Jury Behavior, Jury Consultants, Life Outside of Work, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Mental Health, Psychology, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting, Work-Life

One of the things I enjoy most in life is designing scientific research, including experiments and surveys. Now that I, like most people I know, have more free time than usual, due to worldwide circumstances beyond my control, I decided to devise a personality inventory to allow people to conduct a self assessment. The short […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On December 1, 2020

Strange times have caused many strange reactions and behaviors. Melissa’s survey asks some pertinent questions. We have friends and family members who are coping with the pandemic, and with politics, in very different ways. These are, without a doubt, tough times and our country, our world, is incredibly divided. How we manage our stresses and […]

Nuclear Verdicts: Part 2

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On August 20, 2020

Category: Jury Behavior, Jury Consultants, Jury Deliberations, Jury Research, Litigation Consultants, Litigation Research, Litigation Tips, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting

Face it, some trials are bad, there is liability, there are real damages. Evaluating those honestly and without bias is what we, as trial consultants, help our clients accomplish. And, that said, the other issue in mock jury research when we work for the defense is that the plaintiff’s argument, when presented during the mock […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On August 20, 2020

Over the years, I have heard some interesting remarks from defense attorneys and insurance adjusters following their observations of mock juries deliberating on their case. One client, who is a defense attorney but who was, for reasons unknown to me, hired to represent numerous plaintiffs in a billion dollar class action case, told me that […]

Nuclear Verdicts: Part 1

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On August 13, 2020

Boom – the verdict is in and it is explosive, shocking everyone involved. These verdicts are referred to “nuclear verdicts,” with the implication that they are both large and unreasonable. I read about this phenomenon regularly. It is a trend that frightens one side of the “v.” – the defense side, and emboldens the other […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On August 13, 2020

When David and I founded Magnus in 1993, we used a slogan in our marketing materials, “Reducing Uncertainty.” We know, based on our experience in conducting mock trials, focus groups, and attitude surveys, that our research results provide our clients with information about which they would have never known without our help. Knowing this information […]

It’s all guesswork…

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On April 9, 2020

Category: Getting the Job Done, Jury Behavior, Jury Consultants, Jury Research, Litigation Consultants, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Psychology, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting

I was recently discussing with a client Melissa’s involvement as a trial consultant during jury selection. The attorney was well seasoned, has had many trials, but has never engaged a trial consultant to assist during jury selection. And, like most attorneys these days, the opportunities to conduct jury selection, and go to trial, with everything […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On April 9, 2020

Category: Getting the Job Done, Jury Behavior, Jury Consultants, Jury Research, Litigation Consultants, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Psychology, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting

I’m not sure which of Magnus’ uninformed/misinformed clients made this remark to David, but this remark is another reminder that seemingly intelligent, sophisticated people are sometimes not as intelligent or sophisticated as they would like other people to believe. Guesswork? Did this guy say guesswork? There is nothing, absolutely nothing, involving guesswork in my jury […]

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Archive | Jury Behavior

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

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