Title

More than ten years after: The long-term stability of informed death penalty opinions

Authors

Authors

R. M. Bohm;B. L. Vogel

Comments

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Abbreviated Journal Title

J. Crim. Justice

Keywords

PUBLIC-OPINION; CAPITAL-PUNISHMENT; ATTITUDES; KNOWLEDGE; Criminology & Penology

Abstract

This panel study examined the stability of informed death penalty opinions more than ten years after students participated in a semester long death penalty class. Results for two "abstract" opinion measures indicated that support of the death penalty significantly diminished after exposure to the death penalty class, yet rebounded to initial pretest levels two to three years later. After more than ten years, the data revealed small increases in support of the death penalty from the first follow-up period. Personal involvement measures did not change significantly across the four points in time. The relative importance of four of the eleven reasons for death penalty support or opposition changed significantly over time. Those changes varied across measures. Some increased in importance over time, while others decreased in importance. Finally, race was a significant factor in every opinion measure, as well as in nine of the eleven reasons for death penalty support or opposition. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Journal Title

Journal of Criminal Justice

Volume

32

Issue/Number

4

Publication Date

1-1-2004

Document Type

Article

Language

English

First Page

307

Last Page

327

WOS Identifier

WOS:000222927900003

ISSN

0047-2352

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