Date of Award

5-2026

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Honors Thesis

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Stacy Wetmore

Second Advisor

Ashley Hutson

Abstract

The testimony of jailhouse informants (JIs)—individuals who claim to have gained knowledge about a crime while incarcerated with a defendant—is considered a leading cause of wrongful convictions. The present study examined how the gender of the JI affects participants’ rating of the informant’s credibility by adapting a trial summary from Wetmore et al., 2014. In the trial summary, a male defendant, whose wife recently filed for divorce, returns home fro the bar one night to find the dead bodies of his wife and her alleged new romantic partner. Included in the trial summary, is the testimony of the defendant, numerous witnesses, and the JI,—who claims the defendant confessed to this crime. After reading the trial summary, particiapnts provided verdict decisions and credibility assessments of the defendant and the informant. The results of this study revealed no significant differences in verdict decisions. However, females perceived JI testimony to be more credible than males. Results were discussed through the fundamental attribution error framework. Findings can inform analyses of how JI testimony can be used in the courtroom and how that testimony affects jurors’ decision-making.

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