This study examined the effects that a defendant's pleading of the fifth amendment during a criminal trial had on simulated juror's decisions regarding verdict, likelihood of guilt, certainty of guilt, sentence severity, and perceptions of the defendant's character. One hundred fifty-five undergraduate psychology students read one of three versions of a transcript, based on a trial of a man charged with theft, in which the defendant did not plead the fifth (control), plead the fifth, or plead the fifth possibly for reasons other than hiding involvement in the crime (i.e. having an affair). Results showed that the two fifth amendment conditions found the defendant to be more likely guilty than the control condition. Also, a factor analysis suggested that an honest and a relaxed dimension best described the defendant's character. In addition, it was discovered that perceptions of the defendant's honesty mediated the effects of perceived likelihood of guilt. / Department of Psychological Science