P131. Vicarious Exposure: How Police Scanner Social Media Groups Influence Citizen Perceptions

• In Event: Poster Session & Ice Cream Social

Abstract

While research on determinants of citizen perception of police is well-established, this study introduces a novel approach by examining differential perceptions between members and non-members of police social media scanner groups. Traditional factors such as frequency, quality, and satisfaction of direct police contact have been significantly associated with perception of police. However, our research expands the literature by investigating how vicarious exposure through social media platforms influences police perception.
Using a sample of college students from five universities, we examined police perception using OLS regression. Results revealed statistically significant effects of police performance on police perceptions among both groups. The findings contribute to the literature by examining the effect of vicarious contact with police through social media on police perception. Implications of these results are discussed.

Authors

• Heeuk "Dennis" Lee, Weber State University

• David Kim, Austin Peay State University

• Myunghoon Roh, Salve Regina University

• Kyungseok Choo, Endicott College