Media Coverage of O.J. Simpson Trial

DOGMATISM, LOCUS OF CONTROL, AND SEX-ROLE IDENTITY: THEIR

RELATIONSHIP TO SELECTED VIEWS OF MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE

In an article for the Los Angles Times, (LA Times, April 1, 1995) readers were asked to comment on the performance of Los Angeles Police Chief Willie Williams; although comments were wide-reaching, readers were specifically asked to include their sentiments regarding criticism by members of the rank and file that he has not done enough to answer the attacks on the LAPD's performance made by O.J. Simpson's defense attorneys. Typical responses were as follows:

Now for the last several months, lawyers for O.J. Simpson, lawyers on talk shows and talk-show hosts have been beating up on LAPD and law enforcement in general. And until very recently, Parker Center and City Hall were deadly silent. Now, I'm sure for political reasons, they have spoken out on behalf of the LAPD officers. But it's too late. The damage is done. This is what happens when the police department becomes politicized.

Shame, shame on Williams for not actively defending the policemen who serve Los Angeles. Those poor officers who were put on the stand in the O.J. Simpson "show" trial were very professional, but were treated with disrespect, insults and scandalous attacks upon their characters and that of the LAPD, which they were representing. Speak up or leave Los Angeles for

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larly associated with situations involving jury decisions. Specifically, jurors who are high on dogmatism tend to be more conviction prone, more punitive in recommended sentences, and more influenced by the comments and attitudes of courtroom authority figures such as judges than are individuals who are low on dogmatism. The foregoing studies have direct implications for the attitudes that are examined in this study. First, the fact that individuals with dogmatic personalities tend to form extreme views would indicate that those high in dogmatism could be expected to hold more extreme attitudes than those low in dogmatism. Second, the preference of dogmatic individuals for authoritarian attitudes and their favoring of authority figures coupled with low dogmatic individuals' lowered respect for authority, makes it likely that among those who view the media as "authoritative", high dogmatic individuals will view it as balanced while low dogmatic individuals will view it as biased. Locus of Control and Attitudes Although no studies specifically examined locus of control and attitudes toward the media in general or toward the media's coverage of the Simpson trial in particular, there have been some studies which bear on the ge

Category: Psychology - M