In the Aftermath of the Amadou Diallo Shooting, Several Psychologists

question 55

Multiple Choice

In the aftermath of the Amadou Diallo shooting, several psychologists have investigated the influence that a suspect's race might play in police decisions to shoot or not shoot. The results of these studies suggest that

• A) race does not influence police officers who have been trained to look past a suspect's skin color.
• B) race can influence the thought processes of police officers, but very rarely their actual behavior.
• C) police will react differently to an African-American suspect depending on their own level of racial prejudice.
• D) mere awareness of racial stereotypes is enough to influence police behavior, even if the officers do not endorse these stereotypes.

---

Definitions:

Attention

The focusing of cognitive resources on particular information while ignoring other perceivable information.

External Environment

All external factors and conditions, including physical, social, and economic, that affect an individual or organization.

Speech

The expression of thoughts and feelings by articulated sounds or words, a primary means of human communication.

Perception

The process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their environment.