NCJ Number
96773
Journal
Journal of Applied Social Psychology Volume: 14 Issue: 4 Dated: (July-August 1984) Pages: 334-340
Date Published
1984
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This study tested 62 police officers and 62 college males on their own authoritarianism and their estimates of the authoritarian beliefs of the other group.
Abstract
College students perceived police officers as much more authoritarian than the officers represented themselves as being. Officers were accurate in their estimations of students' authoritarianism, and there was no difference between officers and students in their characterizations of their own authoritarianism. The differences between these findings and those in much of the literature (especially that from the early 1970's) may be due to differences in police experience: many of the officers in this sample had some college and thus direct experience with students. It may also be that officers are now being specifically chosen on the basis of less authoritarian attitudes. The results imply that rather than focusing on changing the attitudes of officers, police departments desiring better public relations might do well to concentrate on correcting public opinion. Two tables and 17 references are supplied. (Author abstract modified)