Insanity as a Defense Views
Introduction
Each year the number of murders increases. Do you ever wonder if these murders would stop if the “criminals” were not given the verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI)? In order to be eligible for this an individual must not be in a correct state of mind when the murder took place. Oftentimes, people feel that lawyers misrepresent clients as insane; when in actuality the client is competent to decipher right from wrong. In the following text, we will analyze our research of what effects Texas A&M students’ views on using insanity defense in murder trials, focusing on political views, number of sociology or psychology classes taken, and hometown population size.
Theory
Insanity defense in murder trials has been a heated debate for years. Many people feel wronged when a killer does not receive equal justice. We believe a student’s view on insanity defense can be dependent on at least three independent variables: political affiliation, number of sociology or psychology classes taken, and their hometown population.
Political affiliation associates an individual with certain ideas and beliefs. Each political party embodies different ideas that people can relate to. Once an individual finds a party that closely relates their beliefs, they feel a connection with that particular party. For example, Democrats normally hold liberal or progressive ideas, where Republicans are more conservative. Conservatives are known for wanting stronger punishments for criminals like the death penalty; while liberals are against this.
It is a common assumption that if a person knows more about a certain topic then he or she can create more knowledgeable opinions about those topics. In sociology and psychology classes, people learn about why people act the way they do and how they think before, during, and after they make a decision, good or bad. If an individual has not taken any sociology or psychology classes, then we can safely assume they will likely be
Each year the number of murders increases. Do you ever wonder if these murders would stop if the “criminals” were not given the verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI)? In order to be eligible for this an individual must not be in a correct state of mind when the murder took place. Oftentimes, people feel that lawyers misrepresent clients as insane; when in actuality the client is competent to decipher right from wrong. In the following text, we will analyze our research of what effects Texas A&M students’ views on using insanity defense in murder trials, focusing on political views, number of sociology or psychology classes taken, and hometown population size.
Theory
Insanity defense in murder trials has been a heated debate for years. Many people feel wronged when a killer does not receive equal justice. We believe a student’s view on insanity defense can be dependent on at least three independent variables: political affiliation, number of sociology or psychology classes taken, and their hometown population.
Political affiliation associates an individual with certain ideas and beliefs. Each political party embodies different ideas that people can relate to. Once an individual finds a party that closely relates their beliefs, they feel a connection with that particular party. For example, Democrats normally hold liberal or progressive ideas, where Republicans are more conservative. Conservatives are known for wanting stronger punishments for criminals like the death penalty; while liberals are against this.
It is a common assumption that if a person knows more about a certain topic then he or she can create more knowledgeable opinions about those topics. In sociology and psychology classes, people learn about why people act the way they do and how they think before, during, and after they make a decision, good or bad. If an individual has not taken any sociology or psychology classes, then we can safely assume they will likely be
Cited: Bloechl, Angela L., Michael J. Vitacco, Craig S. Neumann, and Steven E. Erickson. "An Empirical Investigation of Insanity Defnese Attitudes: Exploring Factors Related to Bias." International Journal of Law and Psychiatry 30 (2007): 153-61. Science Direct. Web. 28 Oct. 20010. . "Empircal Research on the Insanity Denfense and Attempted Reform: Evidence towards Informaed Policy." Law and Human Behavior 23.3 (1999): 375-94. Springer. Web. 28 Oct. 2010. . Skeem, Jennifer L., Jennifer E. Louden, and Jennee Evans. "Venireperson 's Attitudes Toward the Insanity Defense: Developing, Refining, and Validating a Scale." Law and Human Behavior 28.6 (2004): 623-48. Springer. Web. 28 Oct. 2010. .