PhD, MS, Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Michigan State University

MJ, Indiana University, Robert H. McKinney School of Law
BA Psychology, University of Illinois

Author, Jury Decision Making: The State of the Science (NYU Press, 2012)

Professor of psychology, IUPUI (1996 - 2018)

Editorial board for Law and Human Behavior (2012-2018)

Member, American Society of Trial Consultants

Member, American Psychology‐Law Society

Dennis J. Devine, PhD, MJ

Consultant, Indianapolis
317-229-3123 | devine@themevision.com
Dennis Devine leverages his extensive background in psychology with his interest in the law and juries to conduct applied research in the service of clients.

He specializes in applying psychological principles, findings, and methods to assess and diagnose client needs; gathering and systematically analyzing relevant data; and then conveying critical findings in an easy-to-digest manner.

Prior to joining ThemeVision, Dr. Devine was an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) for 22 years, where he conducted research and taught courses in statistics, psychological measurement and data interpretation, and psychology and law. His primary research interest was jury decision making, with a focus on learning when juries will be influenced by extralegal factors and how the deliberation process influences verdicts and damage awards. He has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed social science journals. He has also authored two book chapters that appeared in Advances in Psychology and Law: Volume 2 (2016) and The Psychology of Juries (2017). Dr. Devine wrote – Jury Decision Making: The State of the Science (2012) – a book published by New York University Press that summarizes the scientific literature on juries and offers an integrative theory of how they reach decisions.
Read More »

Alerts and Updates

No Love for Jurors

Over 25 years of studying juries, I’ve noticed many people don’t think too highly of serving as a juror. They believe jury duty is a waste of time, something to be dodged by skipping outright or showing up and saying something outrageous to get booted. And many people would probably say jury decisions are influenced … more »

Science on Trial: Nationwide Views on Science and Scientific Evidence in 2022

Attitudes about science have become part of a national conversation. We are regularly barraged with all sorts of “scientific” findings that have implications for our physical and mental well-being as well as our behavior as consumers. And nearly every U.S. adult has had to make a decision about getting vaccinated for COVID. The flurry of health and safety-related recommendations flowing from scientific research has triggered a loud and at times rancorous public dialog about the value of science. This raises an overarching question: Do people trust science?

Moneyball for Attorneys 

Spring is here. For many sports fans, that means one thing in particular: Play ball! The other day I watched a good “spring” movie—Moneyball. If you’re a fan of Brad Pitt or Jonah Hill, you would like it. If you follow baseball at all, you should see it. And if you’re a fan of winning … more »

When Does Mock Juror Research Help Win Cases?

All mock juror research involves asking a sample of people to think like real jurors and share their beliefs and opinions about a case. This research takes many forms – surveys, focus groups, mock trials, and targeted studies on opening statements, closing arguments, or witness perception – to name a few. But the underlying goal … more »

Case Decision Making, Part II: What’s in Your Model?

If the case is about money, it’s helpful to know what the case is worth to those who will eventually decide the issue at trial. Most attorneys probably use reasoned logic in conjunction with the facts of the case to decide this question. Maybe the result is tempered by personal history for those with trial experience. But relying on these things is risky.  

About Half: New Data on COVID and Jury Pools

ThemeVision’s Nationwide SurveyThemeVision is a litigation consulting firm that counsels clients on jury decision making and conducts jury research in cases around the country. We obtained a diverse, national sample of responses from 532 U.S. adults (locations shown above). Our questions fell into several buckets: Demographics,Health-related behaviors and contracting COVID,Willingness to serve as a juror … more »

Case Decision Making: What’s in Your Model?

Every legal case comes with a host of decisions. Some are big and bright; many are small and subtle. Some are not even perceived as decisions due to the chilling effect of convention, personal habit, or law-firm policy. But there are always many questions—and where there are questions, there are decisions. Consider several that arise … more »

Jury Trials in the COVID-19 Era

COVID-19 has dominated all facets of life in the last four months. How courts will handle jury trials in the coming months has been a topic of particular interest to the legal community.

Who is Keyser Soze (in Your Jury)?

By Dennis Devine In the classic 1995 film, The Usual Suspects, Keyser Soze (pronounced Kaiser So-zay) is a shadowy, larger-than-life character. His unseen, ubiquitous presence directs and controls the actions of an assembled group like some nefarious puppet-master. The central question of the film is: Who is Keyser Soze? Let’s consider how this mystical character … more »

Data-Driven Case Valuation

Parties to lawsuits and their
lawyers inevitably find themselves pondering one overriding question: What is our case really worth?

Get to know the team

Trisha Volpe, JD

Hillary C. Abraham, MS

David C. Bartholomew

Courtney Tharp, CRP

Dennis P. Stolle, JD, PhD