The effect of confirmation bias and racial stereotypes on perceptions of guilt and interrogation strategy decisions

Abstract

We examined whether racial stereotypes and guilt bias could affect perceptions of suspects and decisions in investigations. In three studies, participants read about a case, provided guilt judgments, and suggested questions they would ask a suspect. In all studies we manipulated race-based stereotypes and guilt bias using different methods and operationalizations to provide a robust test of our hypotheses. In Experiment 1, we found that participants asked more guilt-presumptive questions to the subject they decided was guilty. In Experiment 2, we found that when presented with more incriminating evidence, participants perceived suspects as more guilty and chose/generated more guilt-presumptive questions. In Experiment 3, we found that those with less incriminating evidence reported lower levels of guilt and chose more coercive techniques. Our findings highlight the complexity of racial stereotypes and confirmation bias within investigation decision-making.