Analyzing Factors That Influence Officer Threat Assessments

• In Event: Advances in Experimental Methods Panel 1 : Experimental Frontiers in Policing and Threat Assessment

Abstract

Police officers’ decision-making in encounters involving force has been a central focus of empirical research. Therefore, understanding factors that contribute to officers’ threat assessments carries important meaning both theoretically and from a policy standpoint. The current study employs an experimental design using scenarios to examine the extent to which visible features, such as skin tone, attire, and behavioral cues (e.g., motion velocity) influence officers’ decision-making in a simulated environment. A sample of 30 federal and local law enforcement officers participated in the study, engaging in 16 distinct scenarios that varied across four factors hypothesized to influence threat perception. Findings indicate that subject aggression and the presence of a handheld object significantly influenced decisions regarding the use of force and response time. Additionally, while participants did not apply more severe force based on a subject’s visible attributes, both skin tone and attire affected the speed at which officers drew their weapons (i.e., taser or firearm). These results contribute to the larger discourse on officer decision-making by providing empirical evidence that can help establish new policies and training for law enforcement threat assessment and use of force decision making.

Authors

• Sue-Ming Yang, George Mason University

• Stephanie Dailey, George Mason University