NCJ Number
51037
Date Published
1975
Length
294 pages
Annotation
THE DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF A 4-HOUR LECTURE COURSE DESIGNED TO HELP POLICE OFFICERS IDENTIFY AND UNDERSTAND THEIR PREJUDICIAL ATTITUDES ARE DOCUMENTED.
Abstract
FORTY-FOUR POLICE OFFICERS FROM LANE COUNTY ORE., AND THE CITY OF EUGENE, ORE., PARTICIPATED IN THE COURSE, WHICH WAS AIMED AT SENSITIZING THEM TO THE BASIC CONCEPTS OF PREJUDICE AS IT EFFECTS DAILY CONTACTS BETWEEN POLICE AND CITIZENS. THE OFFICERS COMPLETED TESTS BEFORE AND AFTER THE LECTURE. AS HYPOTHESIZED, ACHIEVEMENT TEST SCORES WERE HIGHER AFTER THE LECTURE. SELF-RATINGS REMAINED RELATIVELY UNCHANGED. TRAINEE EVALUATIONS OF THE COURSE WERE GENERALLY POSITIVE. THE OFFICERS ALSO RESPONDED TO FOUR 'STIMULUS OFFICERS' (OFFICERS FOR WHOM INFORMATION ON RACE AND BELIEFS WAS PROVIDED) ON DIMENSIONS OF PERCEIVED SIMILARITY, FRIENDLINESS, AND SOCIAL DISTANCE. THE TRAINEES' PERCEIVED SIMILARITY AND FRIENDLINESS INCREASED AND SOCIAL DISTANCE DECREASED AFTER THE COURSE. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT THE COURSE SENSITIZED THE OFFICERS TO THE NATURE OF PREJUDICIAL ATTITUDES AND REDUCED SIGNIFICANTLY THE OFFICERS' EXPRESSED PREJUDICE TOWARD THE STIMULUS OFFICERS. THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT, GIVEN INFORMATION CONCERNING AN INDIVIDUAL'S BELIEFS, THE POLICE OFFICERS REACT PRIMARILY IN TERMS OF SIMILARITY OF BELIEFS AND ONLY VERY SECONDARILY IN TERMS OF RACE. THERE IS LITTLE EVIDENCE THAT THE COURSE CONSISTENTLY CAUSED STEREOTYPES TO BE REJECTED, OR THAT THE OFFICERS BECAME LESS PREJUDICED OR DISCRIMINATION-MINDED IN THEIR PERSONAL LIVES AS A RESULT OF THE COURSE. HOWEVER, IT CAN BE CONCLUDED THAT, AS A RESULT OF THE COURSE, THE OFFICERS WERE MORE LIKELY TO REJECT CERTAIN KINDS OF STEREOTYPES, TO SUPPORT NONDISCRIMINATION AS A POLICY, AND TO ACCEPT CASUAL PERSONAL CONTACT WITH MINORITIES. SUPPORTING DATA, A BIBLIOGRAPHY, AND COPIES OF STUDY INSTRUMENTS AND THE COURSE CURRICULUM ARE INCLUDED.