Study Finds Black Men Appear More Intimidating Than White Men

Over the last year, the conversation around policing and the Black community has been at the center of the national news due to Black men being shot and killed by police. In a press release on March 13, the American Psychological Association (APA) noted research that provides evidence that may support why police are more likely to shoot Black men.

A study to be published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found racial bias in the perceived size and threat of Black men compared to their White counterparts. In the study , the primary author Dr. John Wilson (social psychologist at Montclair University) states that participants judged the Black men to be larger, stronger and more muscular than the White men, even though they were actually the same size. In numerous interviews with police following shootings or incidents of police use of force, officers have often described many of those Black boys and men as being big, large or dangerous. These racial bias found in the study by Wilson and his collaborators appear to support anecdotal evidence that has often be noted to influence why police are more likely to engage in use of force towards Black versus White men.

During a Facebook Live event (view below) hosted by the APA on Understanding the Link Between Race-Related Stress and Aggressive Policing Among African-Americans. Additional evidence was discussed on the role of implicit bias in police shootings. Specifically, how implicit bias shapes police officers behavior towards viewing Black men as more threatening. Decades of research on implicit racial bias find that officers are more likely to shoot a Black man who is unarmed than a White man who is armed.

There appears to be strong evidence that supports the need to work towards improving policing to make our communities more safe and decrease the impact of racial bias among police officers. In my talk at the APA building on yesterday, I noted that there are challenges with reducing implicit racial bias because we all have some degree of bias. However, in order for systemic change to occur both police and the communities they serve must work together to identify strategies to address this crisis.