Public attitudes to the death penalty in Japan
Te experiment showed that the number and proportion of retentionists90
in the experimental group
(n=194, 36%) differed from the control group (n=247, 46%), with the experimental group showing less support for the death penalty. Te proportion of abolitionists91
was correspondingly larger in the
experimental group (n=164, 30%) in comparison to the control group (n=138, 25%). Te remaining position – “cannot say” – was also higher in the experimental group (n=184, 34%) than the control group (n=157, 29%). Te differences found in each death penalty position are the result of the provision of information being effective in reducing support for, and increasing opposition to, the death penalty. Te higher level of uncertainly found in the experimental group – those who selected “cannot say” – could be the result of their increased knowledge, or because their misconceptions were challenged, leading them to doubt their initial position on the death penalty.
Te largest difference in proportions between groups was found for definite retentionists (“should definitely be kept”) – and not in groups showing qualified views. Te experimental group (n=68, 13%) showed lower levels of support for this position than the control group (n=108, 20%). Tis finding from the experimental survey indicates malleability in all levels of attitude, and points to the possibility of using exposure to information as a means of changing the views of even the most committed retentionists. Tese differences between the experimental group and the control group were highly statistically significant at p<.01 level, using the five-point scale question.92
Second, the survey extends the critical analysis of the government survey by testing this question empirically within the structure of the experimental survey. Te exact wording from the government survey question was used, and Figure 8 compares the responses of the two groups. Te rationale behind asking the government survey question to both groups is to see if the differences in opinion between groups, observed in the five-point scale question which reflected the impact of information, are also reflected in the government survey. In other words, this tests whether the government survey question is sensitive to the differences in levels of commitment in death penalty attitudes. Te proportion of retentionists under the government survey definition (“death penalty is unavoidable in some cases”) is identical (16%), and the proportion of abolitionists – those who believe the “death penalty should be abolished under all circumstances” – is similar (experimental group: 30%, control group: 26%). A Chi-Square test confirmed that there was no difference between groups.93
90 91 92 93
“Retentionists” refers to respondents who selected “should definitely be kept” and “should probably be kept” “Abolitionists” refers to respondents who selected “should definitely be abolished” and “should probably be abolished Control group (M= 2.91, SD=1.14), and the experimental group (M= 2.68, SD=1.21), t (1079) =3.21, p<.01, 2 tailed Pearson’s Chi-Square X2
(2, N=1084) =2.105, p> .05) 45
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