Bargaining for Freedom: A Person-by-Situation Approach to Studying Plea-Bargain Decision-Making

Abstract

Discounting scholars have studied decisions about monetary rewards, or gains, and found that the probability and delay of the receipt of those gains influence their subjective value. Plea-bargain decisions inherently contain the features of probability and delay in the decision context: Trial’s outcome is uncertain while the plea offer’s outcome is certain, and trial is delayed while the plea offer is relatively immediate. This dissertation’s four studies apply discounting paradigms to plea-bargain decision-making and find that probability of trial conviction and delay until trial influence decision-making. Additionally, Studies 3 and 4 highlight how other situational features, Factual Innocence and Attorney Advice, influence plea decisions. Overall, the person-by-situation approach from personality and social psychology adopted by this dissertation offers discounting scholars a richer understanding of the personal and situational factors that can influence decision-making.