Police-Citizen Interaction and Nonverbal Communication: The Impact of Culturally Determined Smiling and Gestures (From Psychology and Law: International Perspectives, P 240- 252, 1992, Friedrich Losel, Doris Bender, et al., eds. -- See NCJ-148224)

• NCJ Number: 148241
• Author(s): A Vrij; F W Winkel
• Date Published: 1992
• Length: 13 pages
• Sale Source: Walter de Gruyter & Co
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: Germany (Unified)

Annotation

These experiments examined the extent to which differences between Dutch and Surinamese citizens related to skin color, beliefs, and nonverbal behavior explained negative treatment of Surinamese by Dutch police officers.

Abstract

A total of 176 police officers of lower ranks participated in the first experiment, while 192 police officers of lower ranks participated in the second experiment. Results of both experiments did not indicate that white police officers assessed Surinamese citizens more negatively than Dutch citizens. Citizens with dissimilar beliefs, however, were assessed more negatively than citizens whose beliefs corresponded to those of police officers. In addition, citizens displaying black nonverbal behavior were assessed more negatively than citizens who displayed white nonverbal behavior. Black nonverbal behavior was not assessed more negatively than white nonverbal behavior. Dissimilar beliefs led to somewhat more negative assessment than similar beliefs. Black nonverbal behavior was not assessed more negatively than white nonverbal behavior when citizens had dissimilar beliefs, and Surinamese citizens with both dissimilar beliefs and black nonverbal behavior were not more negatively assessed. When the environment exerted social pressure, nonverbal behavior was the most important factor in predicting negative assessment; skin color was the least important, and factor beliefs were of intermediate importance. 28 references and 4 tables