NCJ Number
114672
Date Published
1988
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This paper reports on the test of a prototype model for inducing attitudinal change regarding the death penalty in the United States.
Abstract
Although enormous expenditures are common in the advertising industry and within government campaigns designed to change public opinion, such efforts have not been used to gain greater support for the abolition of capital punishment in the United States. The prototype model tested involved a baseline survey among students of a predominantly black midwestern university to identify those who favor the death penalty. Within this sample, random assignment was used to create control and experimental groups. The control group was given a 'placebo' criminal justice document, and the experimental group was given a document by the American Civil Liberties Union entitled, 'Case Against the Death Penalty.' Both groups were motivated to read the documents and answer questions based on the reading. Some evidence of attitudinal change was found in the testing. Implications for jurisprudence are discussed. 1 table, 2 figures, 5 references.