DOES VIEWING A TELEVISED EXECUTION AFFECT ATTITUDES TOWARD CAPITAL-PUNISHMENT

Two hundred and ninety one registered California voters completed Pete rson and Thurstone's Attitude Toward Capital Punishment scale. About h alf of the participants then viewed a videotape of two executions, and the other participants watched a nature film. All of the respondents then completed an alternative version of the capital punishment attitu de scale. Significantly more viewers of the execution videotape reduce d their support for capital punishment than did viewers of the control film, suggesting that resumption of public (i.e., televised) executio ns may somewhat reduce support for the death penalty.