Shooting deaths of unarmed racial minorities: Understanding the role of racial stereotypes on decisions to shoot.

Kahn, Kimberly Barsamian; McMahon, Jean M.

doi:10.1037/tps0000047

Cited by 20 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…The current findings appear somewhat inconsistent with experimental research documenting the effectiveness of training in reducing racial bias in the decision to shoot (Correll et al., ; Kahn & McMahon, ; Sim, Correll, & Sadler, ). These studies employ a computer‐based first‐person‐shooter task (FPST) in which participants are asked to adopt the role of a police officer patrolling public spaces.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

A Social Scientific Approach toward Understanding Racial Disparities in Police Shooting: Data from the Department of Justice (1980–2000)

Scott

Debbie

Sadler

et al. 2017

Journal of Social Issues

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We analyze data from 213 metropolitan areas over a 21-year period, and examine two possible reasons for the disproportionately high number of Black suspects killed in police officer-involved shootings. One account suggests that such shootings reflect racial bias on the part of police. A second account suggests that Black suspects behave differently (perhaps more aggressively) than White suspects, and that police respond to suspects' behavior (but not race). Our analysis statistically controls for racial differences in criminal activity (a proxy for behavior) and provides a statistical test of the effect of race on police shootings. Results suggest that officers are more likely to shoot Black suspects, even when race-based differences in crime are held constant.In the United States, Black people make up approximately 15% of the population but constitute roughly 40% of the suspects who are shot and killed by police

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

A Social Scientific Approach toward Understanding Racial Disparities in Police Shooting: Data from the Department of Justice (1980–2000)

Scott

Debbie

Sadler

et al. 2017

Journal of Social Issues

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“…Participants’ responses often reflect a stereotypically biased decision‐making pattern, termed shooter bias (Correll, Park, Judd, & Wittenbrink, ). Because shooting decisions involve a complex myriad of situational factors that can influence decisions, additional research is needed to examine potential moderators of the shooter bias effect (Kahn & McMahon, ). Drawn from discourse surrounding high profile shootings of racial minorities, the present experiments test what factors are associated with racially biased decisions to shoot racial minorities.…”

Section: How Suspect Race Impacts Decisions To Shootmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As most shooter bias research has been conducted with community members or undergraduate samples, translational research with police officers in a shooter bias paradigm has been limited (see Kahn & McMahon, , for a review). Some of this research has shown that police officers make similar errors as other participant groups, such that they are more likely to shoot unarmed Blacks compared to unarmed Whites, although this bias can be reduced with extended practice (Peruche & Plant, 2006; Plant & Peruche, ).…”

Section: How Suspect Race Impacts Decisions To Shootmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The lack of research directly involving police officers highlights the need for a Full‐Cycle Model (Cialdini, ; Mortensen & Cialdini, ) approach to the study of shooter bias and the role of race in police decision making (Kahn & McMahon, ; Sadler et al., ). The Full‐Cycle Model approach emphasizes the interplay between naturalistic observation of social phenomena, theory development, and lab experimentation to critically understand social phenomena.…”

Section: How Suspect Race Impacts Decisions To Shootmentioning

confidence: 99%

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What Influences Shooter Bias? The Effects of Suspect Race, Neighborhood, and Clothing on Decisions to Shoot

Kahn

Davies

2017

Journal of Social Issues

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Police shooting deaths of unarmed Blacks and African Americans led to psychological research on the influence of racial stereotypes on decisions to shoot, an effect called shooter bias. This article investigates how contextual cues signaling threat or safety interact with the race of the target to moderate shooter bias. Across two experimental studies using a first person shooter task, participants viewed Black or White male targets who held either a neutral (wallet or cellphone) or dangerous (gun) object. Study 1 manipulated the perceived safety or threat associated with the neighborhood context these shooting decisions occurred in, and Study 2 manipulated the perceived safety or threat associated with the targets' clothing. Participants made quick decisions to "shoot" or "not shoot" the presented target, with error rates serving as the dependent variable. Across both studies, results confirmed that racial bias in shooting decisions against Blacks was present in perceived threatening neighborhoods and in perceived threatening clothing, and it was reduced in perceived safe neighborhoods and when wearing perceived safe clothing. Results help to identify contextual factors that may lead to mistaken shooting decisions, which can be used to improve police training and decision making to reduce bias.

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“…The inconsistent shooter bias findings may partly reflect the small samples in these studies. Increased translational research with police officers to directly assess shooter bias, and then developing programs to intervene if necessary, is an important next step in understanding this effect (Kahn & McMahon, 2015;Goff, Mentovich, & Martin, 2013).…”

Section: Social Psychology Of Biasmentioning

confidence: 99%

Policing and Race: Disparate Treatment, Perceptions, and Policy Responses

Kahn

Martin

2016

Social Issues Policy Review

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Police shootings of unarmed African Americans, including Michael Brown, Sean Bell, and Oscar Grant, sparked nationwide protests, debate, and consciousnessraising about race in policing. These high-profile shootings provide pressing reason for an in-depth analysis of race, policing, and policy. This article details the deleterious consequences that racial disparities in policing have on the lives of racial minorities. In trying to understand the source of this disparate treatment, it highlights what empirical social science knows about racial bias in policing, emphasizing how contemporary forms of racial bias can contribute to racially disparate outcomes. The article makes a distinction between what research reveals about the existence of racial bias in policing and perceptions of racially biased policing. Existing racial bias is not always accurately identified nor perceived, which makes it harder to enact change. Examining how to counteract its potential influence, it reviews empirically based interventions to address both police behavior and community perceptions regarding race in policing. From a policy perspective, the article considers the use of police body-worn cameras as a means to promote equitable policing. It concludes with recommendations based on scientific literature, arguing that effective policies must address both the perception of and actual biased policing.Michael Brown, an 18-year-old African American, was approached by a White Ferguson Police Officer, Darren Wilson, in the Saint Louis, Missouri suburb on August 9, 2014. The resulting altercation escalated to the point that Wilson shot and killed Brown. The shooting of Michael Brown catapulted the city-and

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Shooting deaths of unarmed racial minorities: Understanding the role of racial stereotypes on decisions to shoot.

Cited by 20 publications

References 41 publications

A Social Scientific Approach toward Understanding Racial Disparities in Police Shooting: Data from the Department of Justice (1980–2000)

A Social Scientific Approach toward Understanding Racial Disparities in Police Shooting: Data from the Department of Justice (1980–2000)

What Influences Shooter Bias? The Effects of Suspect Race, Neighborhood, and Clothing on Decisions to Shoot

Policing and Race: Disparate Treatment, Perceptions, and Policy Responses

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