Attitude towards Capital Punishment & Confidence in the Legal System
Venu Gandhi
Co-Presenters: Sofia Tramo
College: College of Liberal Arts
Major: Psychology/Forensic Psychology
Faculty Research Mentor: Shai Tabib
Abstract:
This study aimed to investigate the relationship between attitudes toward capital punishment and confidence in the legal system. Previous research has examined various factors influencing individuals’ attitudes toward the death penalty, including perceptions of fair trials, and access to legal counsel. While prior studies had limited non-representative datasets, this study utilized a nationally representative sample from the General Social Survey. We analyzed responses from 2,816 randomly selected participants across the United States. Participants, aged 18 to 89, answered questions about their confidence in the court system and their attitudes toward the death penalty. An independent sample t-test was conducted to compare levels of confidence in the courts between those who supported and those who opposed capital punishment. Results indicated no significant difference between the two groups. These findings suggest that broad confidence in the legal system may not be a factor in influencing attitudes toward the death penalty. Future research should further explore this topic by examining concerns about wrongful convictions specifically and how they influence attitudes toward capital punishment.