A COMPARISON OF FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH UNINFORMED AND INFORMED DEATH-PENALTY OPINIONS

The study shows that while there are some differences in the factors t hat are significantly related to uninformed versus informed death pena lty opinions, there also are significant factors common to both, that is, certain ''core'' factors. Whether informed or not, the more subjec ts favored the death penalty, the more likely they were to be white an d to agree with revenge, incapacitation, and general deterrence items (the converse was true for opponents). Death penalty knowledge only ma de a difference for crime victims (they were less likely to favor the death penalty) and for death penalty proponents (they were less likely to agree that there is a danger of executing an innocent person and t hat whether a person receives the death penalty depends on such things as the make-up of the jury; the converse was true for opponents). The results of the study suggest that death penalty information is not li kely to change core factors, which appear to be assimilated biasedly t o support initial positions.