Abstract Extralegal factors such as accent status, race and age may affect how someone is perceived in courtrooms. Even eyewitnesses who are not on trial may be rated less favorably as a result of such features. The current study measured accent status, race and age with 254 participants listening to oral witness statements. Results indicate eyewitnesses with higher-status accents were rated more favorably than those with lower-status accents and younger black eyewitnesses were rated higher than older black witnesses. White eyewitnesses were more favorably rated than black witnesses although this was qualified by results suggesting anti-norm deviance. The findings provide the criminal justice system with reasons to question how interactions among witness characteristics and with observer characteristics may influence court decisions.

中文翻译：

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并非所有的目击者都是平等的：重音状态，种族和年龄会相互作用，从而影响对证言的评估

摘要法外因素（例如重音状态，种族和年龄）可能会影响人们在法庭上的感觉。由于这些功能，即使是未经审判的目击者也可能会因此而受到不利的评价。当前的研究测量了254位参与者的口音状态，种族和年龄，听取了口头证人的陈述。结果表明，具有较高状态重音的目击者的评分比具有较低状态重音的目击者的评分更高，而年轻的黑人目击者的评分高于年长的黑人证人。白人证人的证人比黑人证人的证人更受好评，尽管这表明暗示了反规范偏差的结果。调查结果为刑事司法系统提供了质疑证人特征与观察员特征之间的相互作用如何影响法院判决的理由。