Public Opinion Polls on the Death Penalty

Bibliographic Data

ID13647808
AuthorsC H S Jayewardene (University of Ottawa, corresponding author), Avtar Singh (0000-0002-7552-930X, University of Ottawa)
Year1979
Volume44
Issue3_suppl
Pages1191-1195
Publication date1979-06-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePsychological Reports (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0033-2941 • E-ISSN: 1558-691X
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.2466/pr0.1979.44.3c.1191
OpenAlexW2083858935
LanguageEN
References cited7

The present study reports questionnaire data obtained from a public opinion survey ( N, 1256) conducted in Ottawa, Canada, with regard to opinions concerning the death penalty. The sample was divided into five groups on the basis of their support for or against the death penalty. In terms of Festinger's theory of dissonance, Abolitionists and Near-retentionists were the two most consistent groups. The opinion of these two groups seemed to be based on rational and informed opinion, while other groups seemed to have responded to the questionnaire in a rather haphazard fashion. These findings draw attention to utilization of public opinion polls in formulating public policy

Cognitive dissonance · Opinion poll · Political science · Politics · Public opinion · Sample (material · Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis · Law · Psychology · Social Psychology · Torture, Ethics, and Law

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