Lawyer and nonlawyer susceptibility to framing effects in out-of-court civil litigation settlement

Article

Belton, I., Thomson, M. and Dhami, M. 2014. Lawyer and nonlawyer susceptibility to framing effects in out-of-court civil litigation settlement. Journal of Empirical Legal Studies. 11 (3), pp. 578-600. https://doi.org/10.1111/jels.12050
TypeArticle
TitleLawyer and nonlawyer susceptibility to framing effects in out-of-court civil litigation settlement
AuthorsBelton, I., Thomson, M. and Dhami, M.
Abstract

Settling a legal dispute out of court is typically a good result for both parties. However, many disputes do not settle: the presence of cognitive biases, such as those observed through
framing manipulations, is thought to be one of the many reasons for settlement failure. The present study used quantitative and qualitative data to compare the impact of a gain- or loss-framed hypothetical civil litigation scenario on settlement decisions made by lawyers and other nonlawyer professionals. A significant effect of framing was found for both groups. As predicted, both nonlawyers and lawyers were much more likely to settle their claim in the gain scenario than in the loss scenario. This finding was supported by the qualitative data: risk-averse comments were more frequent in the gain frame whereas risk-seeking statements were more common in the loss frame. There was also evidence that lawyers may be less affected by framing than nonlawyers, although a smaller difference was observed than in previous studies. In addition, lawyers were more likely than nonlawyers to consider the
expected financial value of the litigation in making their decision. We discuss the implications of these results and suggest avenues for future research.

JournalJournal of Empirical Legal Studies
ISSN1740-1453
Publication dates
PrintJul 2014
Publication process dates
Deposited12 May 2015
Output statusPublished
Additional information

Article first published online: 21 Jul. 2014

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1111/jels.12050
LanguageEnglish
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