Blacks more likely to be shot than whites when holding harmless objects
Based upon a Social Psychological experiment conducted by Anthony Greenwald of Washington University, where college students partake in a virtual reality simulation founded blacks are more likely to be shot holding than a white person even though in the experiment many of the black subjects were holding a non-lethal object like a flashlight. This study was brought about because of the numerous amount of mistaken shootings of unarmed blacks in recent years by police officers. Although this experiment was performed on college students, experts believe police officers would have the same prejudices and perceptions about race that students posses. He bases this theory from thousands of people who have taken the Implicit Associated Tests. These test measure the unconscious attitudes
of people towards weapons. The majority of the participants of these test display some form of unconscious prejudice towards race, ethnicity, age, gender or stereotype. This is sociological/psychological training that police don’t receive at the academy
More than 100 college students participated in the experiment (predominantly Caucasian and Asian). They were requested to take quick action in three different areas of possible danger: criminals, fellow officers and citizens.
Those performing in the experiment were given less than a second to respond. All of the targets were dressed similarly in plain clothes. The students were able to identify officers and criminals (they were holding guns) and able to identify citizens (holding harmless objects- cameras, bottles). The only aspect that distinguished the officers from criminal was race.
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