Framing the harms of wrongful convictions: how different narratives shape public opinion

IF 1.8 2区社会学 Q2 CRIMINOLOGY & PENOLOGY

Journal of Experimental Criminology Pub Date : 2025-01-25 DOI:10.1007/s11292-025-09660-1

Sishi Wu, Robert J. Norris

{"title":"Framing the harms of wrongful convictions: how different narratives shape public opinion","authors":"Sishi Wu, Robert J. Norris","doi":"10.1007/s11292-025-09660-1","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Objectives</h3><p>This research examines whether highlighting different harms of wrongful convictions has differential effects on public attitudes.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Methods</h3><p>We use an online survey-experiment with 970 respondents recruited through CloudResearch’s MTurk Toolkit. Respondents were randomly assigned to one of five conditions: (1) no-information control group, (2) wrongful conviction narrative, (3) wrongful conviction narrative + exoneree harm, (4) wrongful conviction narrative + original crime victim harm, and (5) wrongful conviction narrative + actual offender harm. We then assessed respondents’ victimization concerns and policy preferences.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Results</h3><p>Highlighting different harms of wrongful convictions generally did not affect victimization concerns and had little effect on policy preferences. However, narratives about the exoneree’s suffering and public safety concerns consistently increased public support for exoneree compensation. We also found slight ideological differences in responses.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Conclusions</h3><p>The findings support the notion that the consequences of wrongful convictions for public opinion are nuanced, dynamic, and multifaceted.</p>","PeriodicalId":47684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Experimental Criminology","volume":"3 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8000,"publicationDate":"2025-01-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Experimental Criminology","FirstCategoryId":"90","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11292-025-09660-1","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"CRIMINOLOGY & PENOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objectives

This research examines whether highlighting different harms of wrongful convictions has differential effects on public attitudes.

Methods

We use an online survey-experiment with 970 respondents recruited through CloudResearch’s MTurk Toolkit. Respondents were randomly assigned to one of five conditions: (1) no-information control group, (2) wrongful conviction narrative, (3) wrongful conviction narrative + exoneree harm, (4) wrongful conviction narrative + original crime victim harm, and (5) wrongful conviction narrative + actual offender harm. We then assessed respondents’ victimization concerns and policy preferences.

Results

Highlighting different harms of wrongful convictions generally did not affect victimization concerns and had little effect on policy preferences. However, narratives about the exoneree’s suffering and public safety concerns consistently increased public support for exoneree compensation. We also found slight ideological differences in responses.

Conclusions

The findings support the notion that the consequences of wrongful convictions for public opinion are nuanced, dynamic, and multifaceted.

查看原文本刊更多论文

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Journal of Experimental Criminology CRIMINOLOGY & PENOLOGY-

CiteScore

6.20

自引率

6.70%

发文量

期刊介绍： The Journal of Experimental Criminology focuses on high quality experimental and quasi-experimental research in the advancement of criminological theory and/or the development of evidence based crime and justice policy. The journal is also committed to the advancement of the science of systematic reviews and experimental methods in criminology and criminal justice. The journal seeks empirical papers on experimental and quasi-experimental studies, systematic reviews on substantive criminological and criminal justice issues, and methodological papers on experimentation and systematic review. The journal encourages submissions from scholars in the broad array of scientific disciplines that are concerned with criminology as well as crime and justice problems.