NCJ Number
26140
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 42 Issue: 1 Dated: (JANUARY 1975) Pages: 70-71
Date Published
1975
Length
2 pages
Annotation
A DESCRIPTION OF AN EXPERIEMNT WHICH TESTED WHETHER THE INTRODUCTION OF AN AUTHORITY SYMBOL, SUCH AS THE POLICE UNIFORM, HAS A NEGATIVE EFFECT ON GROUP PROCESSES WHEN THE AUTHORITY SYMBOL IS IRRELEVANT TO THE GROUP PROCESS.
Abstract
SEVENTY-FIVE STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN A COMMUNITY COLLEGE COURSE ON SPEECH COMMUNICATION WERE THE SUBJECTS. TWO EXPERIMENTAL SITUATIONS WERE DEVISED: ONE IN WHICH THE POLICE UNIFORM WOULD BE AN IRRELEVANT FACTOR, AND ANOTHER IN WHICH THE POLICE UNIFORM WOULD BE A RELEVANT AUTHORITY SYMBOL. SUBJECTS WERE FIRST SHOWN FIVE PHOTOGRAPHS, ONE OF WHICH SHOWED AN AVERAGE LOOKING MAN ATTIRED IN A POLICE UNIFORM. IN THE FIRST SITUATION, SUBJECTS WERE ASKED TO RANK THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY WOULD CHOOSE THE PHOTOGRAPHED INDIVIDUALS TO PARTICIPATE IN A DISCUSSION ON THE ROLE OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOL AFFAIRS. IN THIS 'IRRELEVANT' CONDITION, THE UNIFORMED MAN RECEIVED LOW RATINGS. IN THE SECOND, 'RELEVANT' SITUATION SUBJECTS RANKED THE INDIVIDUALS FOR PARTICIPATION IN A DISCUSSION ON THE PROBLEM OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY IN THE COMMUNITY. HERE, THE UNIFORMED MAN RECEIVED HIGH RATINGS. THE AUTHOR CONCLUDES THAT THESE RESULTS SUPPORT HIS HYPOTHESIS THAT THE INTRODUCTION OF A UNIFORMED POLICE OFFICER INTO A SUTUATION IN WHICH THE UNIFORM IS AN IRRELEVANT AUTHORITY SYMBOL WILL HAVE A NEGATIVE EFFECT ON THE GROUP PROCESS.