NCJ Number
142337
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 21 Issue: 1 Dated: (1993) Pages: 29-45
Date Published
1993
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This study examined the stability of informed death penalty opinions (and reasons for opinions) by surveying them approximately 2 and 3 years after subjects completed a 1-month college class on the death penalty.
Abstract
The assigned text for the course was Bedau's "Death Penalty in America" (1982). In addition to the text, the course included lectures by the instructor, a presentation by a guest speaker, videos, and discussion. All 120 of the original subjects who completed the death penalty classes were sent follow-up questionnaires. There was an 88-percent response rate. The survey found that "abstract" death penalty opinions changed significantly through exposure to "classroom knowledge," but after 2 or 3 years they "rebounded" to near their initial pretest positions. "Personal involvement" death penalty opinions did not change significantly from pretest to posttest to followup; and the level of agreement with seven of the 11 reasons for death penalty opinions changed significantly between pretest and posttest, but on the followup, they "rebounded" to the initial pretest level of agreement; the level of agreement with two of the reasons changed significantly between the pretest and the posttest but remained relatively stable between the posttest and the followup. The level of agreement for the other two reasons remained relatively stable over the three points in time. Implications of these findings are discussed. 3 figures, 9 notes, and 22 references