Despite a plethora of research examining juror decision-making within cases of rape, very few studies have attempted to examine how the presence of a developmental disorder within a case can impact jurors' decisions. Research shows that individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are sometimes perceived more negatively (i.e. unempathetic) due to stigmatising beliefs associated with ASD. Thus, the present study sought to examine whether individuals with ASD would be treated differently by jurors in court. Using mock-juror paradigms (N = 204) the present study aimed to explore whether the presence of high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) amongst either the defendant or claimant influenced juror decisions (guilt verdict, confidence in verdict, and believability towards the defendant and claimant) in cases of rape. The presence of ASD amongst either party failed to have an impact on juror decision-making and final guilt verdicts. However, female participants were more likely to believe the complainant than their male counterparts. Implications of the study and directions for future research are discussed.

尽管有大量关于强奸案件中陪审员决策的研究，但很少有研究试图检查案件中发育障碍的存在如何影响陪审员的决定。研究表明，由于与 ASD 相关的污名化信念，被诊断出患有自闭症谱系障碍 (ASD) 的个体有时会被认为更加消极（即冷漠）。因此，本研究试图检验 ASD 患者是否会在法庭上受到陪审员的不同对待。使用模拟陪审员范式（N = 204) 本研究旨在探讨被告或索赔人中高功能自闭症谱系障碍 (ASD) 的存在是否会影响陪审员的决定（有罪判决、对判决的信心以及对被告和索赔人的可信度）。强奸。任何一方中 ASD 的存在都未能对陪审员的决策和最终的有罪判决产生影响。然而，女性参与者比男性参与者更有可能相信投诉人。讨论了研究的意义和未来研究的方向。