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Estimating the Effects of Condemned Inmates' Last Statements on Public Opinion About the Death Penalty: a Factorial Survey Approach

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Estimating the Effects of Condemned Inmates' Last Statements on Public Opinion About the Death Penalty: a Factorial Survey Approach University of Central Florida STARS Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 2012 Estimating The Effects Of Condemned Inmates' Last Statements On Public Opinion About The Death Penalty: A Factorial Survey Approach Timothy P. Colyer University of Central Florida Part of the Sociology Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STARS Citation Colyer, Timothy P., "Estimating The Effects Of Condemned Inmates' Last Statements On Public Opinion About The Death Penalty: A Factorial Survey Approach" (2012). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019. 2112. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/2112 ESTIMATING THE EFFECTS OF CONDEMNED INMATES’ LAST STATEMENTS ON PUBLIC OPINION ABOUT THE DEATH PENALTY: A FACTORIAL SURVEY APPROACH by TIMOTHY P. COLYER B.S. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, 1996 M.S. University of Arkansas, 2003 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Sociology in the College of Sciences at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Spring Term 2012 Major Professor: James D. Wright ©2012 Timothy P. Colyer ii ABSTRACT There has been an increase in writings that address the last statements of condemned offenders. Many of these writings suggest that exposure to the humanity sometimes exhibited in these last statements may steer public opinion against the death penalty. This dissertation tests this suggestion by exposing 400 participants to randomly generated vignettes containing various capital crimes, demographic characteristics, and last statements. The survey data are analyzed utilizing multilevel modeling. Study results include the effects of varying levels of demonstrated humanity in the last statements of condemned offenders on public opinion, and whether specific demographic characteristics appear to influence study participant responses. Findings showed no statistically significant results that indicate any effect on death penalty opinion as a result of reading last statements demonstrating humanity. Condemned inmates who did not provide a statement, or stated they had nothing to say, elicited higher levels of confidence that executing them was the right thing to do. Condemned inmates who claimed innocence in their last statements were associated with the lowest level of respondent confidence that execution was the right thing to do, and a higher level of support for life without parole as an alternative punishment. Recommendations for further research are discussed. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many thanks go to my dissertation advisor, Dr. James D. Wright, for his patience and willingness to work with me through the dissertation process. His ability to guide students and ensure proper focus is unmatched. I also extend my gratitude to my dissertation committee members Dr. Jana Jasinski, Dr. Jay Corzine, Dr. Heili Pals, and Dr. Robert Bohm. The entire committee was very accommodating, and they ensured expedient reviews and feedback. Dr. Pals’ statistical advice was invaluable, and Dr. Bohm’s death penalty expertise ensured a quality product. A special thank you goes to my uncle, Dr. Paul Allison, without whom I would never have determined the best statistical models for this dissertation. Throughout my entire doctoral education experience, he was always willing to take the time to guide me through the statistical mysteries that constantly appeared. He is a true scholar and wonderful uncle. My largest expression of gratitude must go to my wife, Patti, and daughter, Megan, for having the patience and willingness to support me for three and a half years of doctoral education. There were many times when I could not participate in events due to educational requirements, and it is only through their understanding and support that completing this dissertation was possible. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................................. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ........................................................................................................................... iv TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................................................. v LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................................... vii LIST OF TABLES ..................................................................................................................................... viii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER TWO: THEMES AND THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES ..................................................... 3 Why the Murderer Loses the Right to Live .............................................................................................. 6 Theoretical Perspectives on the Retributivist View of Last Statements ................................................. 10 How Last Statements of Condemned Inmates May Affect Death Penalty Public Opinion .................... 14 CHAPTER THREE: LITERATURE REVIEW OF DEATH PENALTY PUBLIC OPINION THAT MAY BE AFFECTED BY EXPOSURE TO LAST STATEMENTS ..................................................... 20 Trends in Death Penalty Support Over Time ......................................................................................... 20 Demographic Characteristics and their Influence on Reactions to Exposure to Last Statements .......... 27 Last Statements of Condemned Inmates ................................................................................................ 34 CHAPTER FOUR: QUALITATIVE METHODS AND DATA ................................................................ 48 Last Statement Data Collection .............................................................................................................. 49 Setting and Population ....................................................................................................................... 49 Data Sampling Strategies ................................................................................................................... 50 Procedures for Collecting Data .......................................................................................................... 51 Last Statement Analytic Strategies ......................................................................................................... 51 Recording and Transcription .............................................................................................................. 51 Coding of Common Themes in the Last Statements .......................................................................... 51 Last Statement Coding Results ............................................................................................................... 58 CHAPTER FIVE: QUANTITATIVE METHODS AND DATA ............................................................... 63 Methods for Evaluating Effects of the Last Statements ......................................................................... 63 Last Statement Attributes ....................................................................................................................... 64 Factorial Survey Design ......................................................................................................................... 65 Survey Pretest ......................................................................................................................................... 68 Ethics and Protecting Human Rights.................................................................................................. 69 Survey Administration, Population, and Sample ............................................................................... 69 Introduction and Directions ................................................................................................................ 70 Personal Data Questionnaire .............................................................................................................. 70 v Analyzing the Survey Results ............................................................................................................ 71 Survey Data ............................................................................................................................................ 72 Generating the Factorial Survey ......................................................................................................... 72 Data Characteristics............................................................................................................................ 75 Descriptive Statistics Analysis ........................................................................................................... 77 CHAPTER SIX: CERTAINTY THAT EXECUTION WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO .................... 80 CHAPTER SEVEN: LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE IS A BETTER OPTION ............................................ 100 CHAPTER EIGHT: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION ....................................................................
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