Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Racial Influences On The Perception Of Police, Sam Omelian

GS4 Georgia Southern Student Scholars Symposium

Previous research has found racial background is a significant factor for the perception of police. However, there is little research done on the impact of the race of the police officer on the perceptions of police. This study examined the impact of racial influences on the perception of police. To study this, we used vignettes of a violent police citizen encounter, in which the officer's use of force was justified, unjustified, or ambiguous. Participants were randomly assigned to instructions, in which the police officer was identified as White or African American. Through self-report surveys, participants rated their perception of the …