In a study of Canadian provincial court judges by Palys and Divorski (1986), each judge participant ...

In a study of Canadian provincial court judges by Palys and Divorski (1986), each judge participant was provided with 5 different criminal cases (and surrounding information). The judges were asked impose a sentence for each offender and indicate what facts they considered relevant in their decision-making (i.e., legal objectives, case facts, and demographic information). What component of the judge’s decision-making was the most important predictor of sentencing severity?
a. Differential weighting of legal objectives
b. Over-consideration of the race of the defendant
c. Selective attention to facts only the judge considered relevant
d. Inconsistent or unclear case facts
e. An interaction between the gender of the defendant and the type of crime