Given the prevalence and predictive strength of negative attitudes toward the insanity defense, we conducted three studies with 426 venirepersons to develop an understanding and a measure of public attitudes toward the insanity defense. In these studies, we developed, iteratively refined, and cross-validated the insanity defense attitude-revised (IDA-R) scale. The results suggest that IDAs are underpinned by one’s degree of (a) orientation toward strict liability, and (b) concern about perceived injustice and danger associated with the defense. The IDA-R assesses these two-dimensions with good internal consistency, convergent and divergent validity, and predictive utility. The IDA-R’s predictive utility generalizes across jurisdictions and manipulation of case facts. Theoretical and practical implications for research and for identifying impartial jurors at voir dire are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

 

Skeem, J., Eno Louden, & Evans, J. (2005).  Venirepersons’s attitudes toward the insanity defense:  Developing, refining, and validating a scale.  Law & Human Behavior, 286, 623-648. doi:10.1007/s10979-004-0487-7