08.04.2024 von 16:00 -17:30 Uhr

Das Kolloquium findet in englischer Sprache und hybrid, also vor Ort in der Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 29 und parallel bei Zoom, statt. Um den Zoom-Link zu erhalten oder in Präsenz teilzunehmen, senden Sie bitte eine E-Mail an Deliah Wagner (deliah.wagner@zkfs.de) bis spätestens einer Stunde vor Beginn der Veranstaltung.

Titel: Are the “good” guys the bad “guys”? The salience of warrior (vs. guardian) cop mindset increases citizens‘ emotions and support for policing reforms 

Vortragender: Dr. Michael Edem Fiagbenu

Inhalt: The role of threat in shifting behaviors and policy preferences is of interest to scholars across a variety of disciplines including political science, criminology, and psychology. Existing studies of threat focus on how malevolent agents (e.g., terrorists, street-criminals), economic conditions, or natural disasters, amongst others shape policy preferences. However, little is known about a realistic that is commonly faced by many people: concerns about police aggression. There are indeed increasing concerns around the globe about police use of force against citizens, leading to negative attitudes towards the police and calls for policing reforms. Across three studies, we examine the relationship between police threat, emotions, and shifts in policing reforms. In Study 1 (N = 2127), we found that concerns about the police use of deadly force and harassment predicted support for police demilitarization and non-militarized policies (e.g., use of body cameras, better police training programs). We further find that these relationships are mediated by fear of the police, belief in police ineffectiveness and abuse of military equipment. In Study 2 (N = 3411), we found police use of force predicts anger and fearful reactions to a high-profile police incident: the killing of George Floyd in the US. In Study 3 (N = 900), we implicitly manipulated police threat and found that the salience of a warrior (vs. guardian) cop mentality increased levels of anger and fear among citizens. However, anger rather than fear in turn predicted support for demilitarization. Our findings suggest that citizens respond to police aggression by supporting reforms aimed at mitigating police use of force.