Effect of Experience on Alibi Generation and Expectation

Members of the general population have high expectations of people who are asked to corroborate an alibi for the suspect of a crime. The general belief is that it is easy to provide an alibi if a person is innocent, and therefore guilt should be assumed when an alibi cannot be provided. The possibility that having to generate an alibi oneself could influence expectations was examined. Additionally, potential changes in opinion after being provided with positive or negative feedback were explored. Results showed a significant difference in expectations based on whether participants were correct or incorrect in identifying the suspect, that is, whether participants were able to provide an alibi. Those who were incorrect had lower expectations of themselves and of others than those who were correct. Making jurors aware of the difficulty in providing an alibi may lead to fairer treatment of suspects who have difficulty providing one.