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

    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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