The Relationship between Insanity Defense Attitudes, Religion, Attributions, and Perceptions of Mental Health on Social Distance Attitudes Towards Insanity Acquittees.

The public generally holds negative attitudes toward the insanity defense and its acquittees. The current study (N=400) evaluates mediating factors that predict negative social attitudes towards insanity acquittees. Criminal attributions and religion were related to negative attitudes toward insanity acquittees, which was mediated by negative insanity defense attitudes.