NCJ Number
146026
Journal
Police Studies Volume: 16 Issue: 1 Dated: (Spring 1993) Pages: 28-32
Date Published
1993
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This study tests the hypothesis that Dutch police treat black citizens more negatively than white citizens.
Abstract
Subjects were 798 Dutch police officers, 84 females and 714 males. Their average age was 37 years. Researchers conducted four mutually related experiments. Subjects were shown a video that set the scenario for a rape investigation under the assumption that the rapist lived on the same street as the victim. The subjects' task was to go door-to- door and interview all males. After this introduction, subjects were shown videos of three interviews. The interviewees in the videos varied in skin color, beliefs, and nonverbal behavior. Subjects indicated on a questionnaire the degree to which the interviewee seemed suspicious, nervous, and unpleasant. Findings show police officers assessed "black" nonverbal behavior (more gaze aversion, more smiling, more hand and arm movement, more speech disturbance, and more indirect answers) more negatively than "white" nonverbal behavior. Dissimilar beliefs made a more negative impression than similar beliefs. Skin color had an impact opposite to the hypothesis: black skin affected impression formation positively. The findings suggest that police officers must be trained to be aware of biased responses to nonverbal behavior. 27 references