Replicating Threat-Avoidance Bias Toward Arab/Muslim Targets

Abstract

Previous research of the shooter bias effect focused on Black versus White male targets, with unarmed Blacks mistakenly shot more often than Whites (Greenwald, Oakes, & Hoffman, 2003; Payne, 2001). Although the shooter bias is considered a robust phenomenon, most of the research has focused exclusively on Black versus White targets. This raises the question of whether this effect can be found using targets of other threat-related groups. If the shooter bias is indeed driven by threat-related schemas, results should find a similar bias when using other ethnic targets and objects. Limited research indicates both Black and other ethnic minorities, such as Arab-Muslim males (Fleming, Bandy, & Kimble, 2010), are stereotypically associated with violence and avoidance more than Whites and Asians (Sadler et al., 2012). Recent research has replicated the original shooter bias effect using Arab-Muslim targets and knives in a European population (Essien et al., 2017). The present research tests whether the shooter bias is generalizable to Arab-Muslim targets, and whether this bias is evident when using knives compared to firearms. It was hypothesized that participants will perform significantly more accurate and commit more errors when primed with Black and Arab/Muslim targets compared to White targets. Data will be analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and signal detection measures to test shooter and avoidance bias towards Arab/Muslim, Black, and White targets.