The participants were 222 undergraduates in an Alabama university. The experimental group of 120 students were enrolled in special classes on the death penalty during the spring of 1988 and 1989; the control group was enrolled in other courses offered at the same time as the death penalty classes. Results revealed that whether informed about the death penalty or not, the more that participants favored the death penalty, the more likely they were to be white and to agree with revenge, incapacitation, and general deterrence items. The converse was true for opponents of capital punishment. Knowledge about the death penalty made a difference only for crime victims, who were less likely than others to favor the death penalty, and for proponents of the death penalty. Proponents were less likely than others to agree that a danger exists of executing an innocent person and that whether a person receives the death penalty depends on factors such as the composition of the jury. Findings suggest that information about the death penalty is unlikely to change core factors, which appear to be assimilated in a biased manner to support initial positions. Tables, notes, and 30 references (Author abstract modified)