Citation

Kahneman D, Schkade D, Sunstein CR. J. Risk Uncertain. 1998; 16(1): 49-86.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1998, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1023/A:1007710408413

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

An experimental study of punitive damage awards in personal injury cases was conducted using jury-eligible respondents. There was substantial consensus on judgments of the outrageousness of a defendant's actions and of the appropriate severity of punishment. Judgments of dollar awards made by individuals and synthetic juries were much more erratic. These results are familiar characteristics of judgments made on unbounded magnitude scales. The degree of harm suffered by the plaintiff and the size of the firm had a pronounced effect on awards. Some judgmental tasks are far easier than others for juries to perform, and reform possibilities should exploit this fact.

Language: en