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The Hard Facts: The Influence Of Crime And Education On Public Perceptions Of Criminals, Elicia Lastra

Student Research Posters

The societal view that criminals are inherently dangerous is a view exceedingly present in American culture. Prior research suggests that education significantly improves knowledge and positive attitudes towards stigmatized groups (Lam et al, 2019) which this present study hopes to expand on. The present study tested the impact of a brief educational intervention on stigma against criminals. Participants included 141 participants (81.8% females and 17.5% males), recruited from a private university in Northern California and through various social media platforms. Participants were randomly assigned into four different conditions created by manipulating two variables (educational video vs. no video; vignette about …