NCJ Number
11497
Journal
Social Forces Volume: 51 Issue: 4 Dated: (JUNE 1973) Pages: 427-433
Date Published
1973
Length
7 pages
Annotation
STUDY OF THE EXISTANCE OF POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE FACIAL STEREOTYPES AND THEIR EFFECTS ON JUDGEMENTS OF INNOCENCE OR GUILT IN EVIDENCE AMBIGUOUS SITUATIONS.
Abstract
IN A 1970 STUDY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA, UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WERE ASKED TO EVALUATE THE PHOTOGRAPHS OF WHITE MIDDLE-AGED MALES ACCORDING TO THE LIKELIHOOD OF THEIR COMMITTING ONE OF FOUR CRIMES. FINDINGS INDICATE THAT BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE FACIAL STEREOTYPES OF FOUR TYPES OF CRIME EXIST AND ARE CRIME SPECIFIC. NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE FACIAL STEREOTYPES ARE CORRELATED WITH JUDGMENTS OF GUILT OR INNOCENCE FOR EVERY CRIME CONSIDERED. NEGATIVE STEREOTYPES ARE MORE IMPORTANT FOR ASSESSING GUILT THAN POSITIVE STEREOTYPES FOR ASSESSING INNOCENCE, WITH EVERY OFFENSE EXCEPT HOMOSEXUALITY, WHERE THE SITUATION IS REVERSED. MALES APPARENTLY USE FACIAL STEREOTYPES IN ASSESSING GUILT OR INNOCENCE MORE THAN DO FEMALES FOR EVERY TYPE OF CRIME CONSIDERED. INCLUDED ARE THE STATISTICAL RESULTS, AS WELL AS A DESCRIPTION OF EVIDENCE-AMBIGUOUS SITUATIONS INVOLVING THE ACTS OF HOMOSEXUALITY, MURDER, ROBBERY, AND TREASON. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)