Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The survey was designed as a randomised experiment with four conditions: (1) To test certain hypotheses about the influence of (i) the choice of sentence; (ii) judges' moral evaluation of offences; (iii) peers' moral evaluation of them; (iv) adult householders' moral evaluation of them. (2) To intestigate whether public opinion polls on abortion have any influence over individual attitudes towards abortion.

Main Topics:

Attention to crime in newspapers, TV and radio, attention to opinion polls; ranking of common penalties used by courts; views about right and likely sentences for offences, perception of public opinion on abortion, own views on abortion, moral evaluation of non-wearing of seat-belts, standard demographic variables. A battery of questions tested liberal/conservative attitudes towards, e.g. divorce, capital punishment. A 7-point scale on moral disapproval was piloted for the survey.

Quota sample

controls set on age, sex, working status. Primary sampling units were small areas within wards

Face-to-face interview