RACIAL-ATTITUDES AND THE DEATH-PENALTY

This study investigated the relationship between overt and subtle form s of racism with Whites' recommendations for capital sentencing of Bla ck and White offenders convicted of murder. White participants (n = 10 4) viewed 5 other ''jurors'' (all Whites or 3 Whites and 1 Black) on v ideotape individually presenting their decisions to vote for the death penalty in the case. It was hypothesized that the bias of high prejud ice-scoring participants would be overt, but that the pattern for low prejudice-scoring participants would be more complex. As predicted, am ong high prejudice-scoring participants, Black defendants received str onger recommendations for the death penalty than did White defendants. Among low prejudice-scoring White participants, Black offenders recei ved stronger recommendations for the death penalty only when a Black j uror advocated the death penalty.