CREDIBILITY OF POLICEMEN AS MESSAGE SOURCES

• NCJ Number: 10012
• Author(s): R N BOSTROM; T H HURT
• Date Published: Unknown
• Length: 32 pages
• Grant Number(s): NI-071
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

INVESTIGATION OF THE ESTEEM AND RESPECT ACCORDED TO POLICEMEN ON THE BASIS OF CONCEPTUAL RATINGS BY A CROSSSECTION OF OHIO HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS.

Abstract

POLICEMEN WERE UNIFORMLY VIEWED AS A CREDIBLE MESSAGE SOURCE, AND SIGNIFICANTLY MORE CREDIBLE THAN MEMBERS OF THE MASS MEDIA, I.E., TELEVISION AND RADIO NEWSMEN. (THE STUDY WAS PERFORMED IN THE AFTERMATH OF CAMPUS DISORDERS IN REACTION TO THE SHOOTING DEATHS OF STUDENTS ON THE KENT STATE CAMPUS). THE SECOND PHASE OF THE STUDY EXAMINED SPECIFIC SUBGROUPS IN THE TOTAL STUDENT POPULATION AND FOUND THAT BLACK STUDENTS SAW POLICEMEN AS MUCH LESS CREDIBLE THAN DID WHITE STUDENTS. THEIR APPRAISAL WAS INDICATED BY LOW RATINGS IN THE AREAS OF COMPETENCE AND DYNAMISM, RATHER THAN IN THE AREA OF SOCIALIZATION. IMPLICATIONS OF THIS FINDING ARE DISCUSSED, SPECIFICALLY THE NEED FOR THE OFFICER TO EMPHASIZE HIS TECHNICAL COMPETENCE WHEN DEALING WITH PRIMARILY BLACK GROUPS. A THIRD GENERAL FINDING WAS THAT POLICEMEN ARE PERCEIVED AS BEING MORE CREDIBLE WHEN THEY COMMUNICATE IN THEIR AREA OF EXPERTISE.