TY - JOUR

T1 - The shooter bias: Replicating the classic effect and introducing a novel paradigm

AU - Essien, Iniobong

AU - Stelter, Marleen

AU - Kalbe, Felix

AU - Koehler, Andreas

AU - Mangels, Jana

AU - Meliß, Stefanie

PY - 2017/5/1

Y1 - 2017/5/1

N2 - How does characterizing a group as hostile and dangerous shape behavior? We present two high-powered experimental studies, a close and a conceptual replication of the ‘Police Officer's Dilemma’ (Correll et al., 2002). Experiment 1 (N = 164)—a close replication—uses the original shooter task with Arab-Muslim targets. Participants showed a so-called shooter bias: A significant interaction in reaction times with faster ‘shoot’ responses for armed Arab-Muslim targets compared to armed White targets (ηp2 = .11, 90% CI [.04; .18]). This provides evidence that the shooter bias is robust against context variations. Experiment 2 (N = 165)—a conceptual replication and extension—investigates whether this effect generalizes to other threat-related behavior. In a novel ‘avoidance task’ with Turkish and White German targets, participants ‘avoid’ armed targets carrying knives and ‘approach’ unarmed targets carrying innocuous objects. Again, we observed a significant interaction effect: Reaction times were faster for armed Turkish targets, but slower for unarmed Turkish targets as compared to White German targets (ηp2 =.19, 90% CI [.11; .27]). Results are interpreted as an avoidance bias—an effect almost twice as large as in the original shooter task. We discuss that the avoidance task may be cognitively more demanding than the shooter task and that the avoidance task may provide a more subtle measure of bias in threat detection. This may lead participants to exert less behavioral control. Taken together, this research highlights that threat stereotypes have powerful influences on judgment and behavior, with the potential to disrupt intergroup interactions.

AB - How does characterizing a group as hostile and dangerous shape behavior? We present two high-powered experimental studies, a close and a conceptual replication of the ‘Police Officer's Dilemma’ (Correll et al., 2002). Experiment 1 (N = 164)—a close replication—uses the original shooter task with Arab-Muslim targets. Participants showed a so-called shooter bias: A significant interaction in reaction times with faster ‘shoot’ responses for armed Arab-Muslim targets compared to armed White targets (ηp2 = .11, 90% CI [.04; .18]). This provides evidence that the shooter bias is robust against context variations. Experiment 2 (N = 165)—a conceptual replication and extension—investigates whether this effect generalizes to other threat-related behavior. In a novel ‘avoidance task’ with Turkish and White German targets, participants ‘avoid’ armed targets carrying knives and ‘approach’ unarmed targets carrying innocuous objects. Again, we observed a significant interaction effect: Reaction times were faster for armed Turkish targets, but slower for unarmed Turkish targets as compared to White German targets (ηp2 =.19, 90% CI [.11; .27]). Results are interpreted as an avoidance bias—an effect almost twice as large as in the original shooter task. We discuss that the avoidance task may be cognitively more demanding than the shooter task and that the avoidance task may provide a more subtle measure of bias in threat detection. This may lead participants to exert less behavioral control. Taken together, this research highlights that threat stereotypes have powerful influences on judgment and behavior, with the potential to disrupt intergroup interactions.

KW - Police officers dilemma

KW - Shooter bias

KW - Avoidance bias

KW - Stereotypes

KW - Threat

KW - Replication

KW - Psychology

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85007552147&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.jesp.2016.12.009

DO - 10.1016/j.jesp.2016.12.009

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 70

SP - 41

EP - 47

JO - Journal of Experimental Social Psychology

JF - Journal of Experimental Social Psychology

SN - 0022-1031

ER -