Profiles in Change: An Alternative Look at the Marshall Hypotheses∗

Student Death Penalty Attitudes: Does New Information Matter?

“…Since Justice Marshall made his remarks, a number of researchers attempted to assess their accuracy (Bohm, 1989(Bohm, , 1990Bohm et al, 1991;Bohm & Vogel, 1994;Cochran, Sanders, & Chamlin, 2006;Lambert & Clarke, 2001;Sandys, 1995;Sarat & Vidmar, 1976;Vidmar & Dittenhoffer, 1981;Wright, Bohm, & Jamieson, 1995). Two of these studies were conducted experimentally and included the use of brief essays as experimental stimuli.…”

“…The essays were approximately three to five pages in length and discussed the general deterrence argument, the potential for executing innocents, racial disparities in application of the death penalty, the psychological impact of death row imprisonment, and the occurrence of botched executions (Lambert & Clarke, 2001;Sarat & Vidmar, 1976). Other studies that tested Justice Marshall's propositions used a quasi-experimental design and allowed exposure to death penalty information by way of a college course (Bohm, 1989(Bohm, , 1990Bohm et al, 1991;Bohm & Vogel, 1994;Cochran et al, 2006;Sandys, 1995;Vidmar & Dittenhoffer, 1981;Wright et al, 1995). With the exception of students in the Bohm (1990) study, students completed questionnaires, which measured death penalty opinions and death penalty knowledge, at the beginning and end of the course.…”

“…Supreme Court cases, general deterrence, incapacitation and cost issues, and discrimination). Textbooks, lectures, presentations, films, discussions, course packets, guest speakers, and supplemental readings were 444 COX used to inform students about these issues (Bohm, 1989(Bohm, , 1990Bohm et al, 1991;Bohm & Vogel, 1994;Cochran et al, 2006;Sandys, 1995;Vidmar & Dittenhoffer, 1981;Wright et al, 1995). In general, Justice Marshall's first contention that the public is ill informed about the death penalty was supported (Bohm, 1989;Bohm et al, 1991;Lambert & Clarke, 2001;Sarat & Vidmar, 1976;Wright et al, 1995).…”

An Examination of Social-Psychological Factors and Support for the Death Penalty: Attribution, Moral Disengagement, and the Value-Expressive Function of Attitudes

“…Unnever et al suggest that weakly-held attitudes are largely a function of conflicting core-values, specifically the conflict between the core values of retribution and the sanctity of human life. Most recently, and most directly relevant to the present study, Cochran et al (2006b) identified factors such as "truth acceptance" (whether individuals accepted information being presented to them) and "myth adherence" (whether individuals are more strongly adhering to learned myths about the death penalty) as salient to death penalty attitudes.…”

“…It is increasingly clear that death penalty attitudes and support for the death penalty are far from stable or absolute (Cochran et al 2006b;Durham et al 1996;Longmire 1996;Unnever et al 2005b). This point was made over three decades ago by Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall in his famous opinion in Furman v. Georgia (1972), in which he hypothesized that if people were informed about the realities of the death penalty, their support for the punishment would decline or desist.…”