Educational experiences and death penalty opinions: Stimuli that produce changes

This study isolates the specific stimuli that produce changes in the opinions about the death penalty among students who have taken a college class on capital punishment. Results of the study show that participation in the death penalty class reduced the percentage of subjects in favor of the death penalty and increased the percentage opposed. Change among whites, however, was slight, whereas change among blacks was much greater. The most persuasive stimuli in changing death penalty opinions, especially for blacks, were administrative considerations. Implications of the findings are discussed.