The researcher theorized that support for capital punishment among whites would be predicated by their belief that criminal behavior is attributable to characteristics of the criminal or to the environment. Black support for the death penalty was thought to be based on perceptions of sentencing inequality and by a lack of trust in representatives of the criminal justice system. The findings indicate that there is substantial difference in the criteria used by whites and blacks in formulating their attitudes. The evidence favors the responsibility attribution model for whites; support for capital punishment among blacks relates primarily to their degree of trust in the police, but is not related to their perception of sentencing disparity. 2 tables, 1 appendix, and 41 references (Author abstract modified)