When the Cruiser Lights Come On Using the Science of Bias & Culture to Combat Racial Disparities in Policing

In this essay, we highlight the interplay between individuals’ psychological processes and sociocultural systems in producing and maintaining racial bias. We use a conceptual tool we call the culture cycle to map these dynamics, and illustrate them with research and in-depth examples from our work r...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inDaedalus (Cambridge, Mass.) Vol. 153; no. 1; pp. 123 - 150
Main Authors Hetey, Rebecca C., Hamedani, MarYam G., Markus, Hazel Rose, Eberhardt, Jennifer L.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Boston MIT Press 01.03.2024
Subjects
Bias
Culture
Organizational change
Organizational research
Partnerships
Police
Policing
Psychological processes
Psychology
Race factors
Racial bias
Racial inequality
Racism
Social change
Social psychology
Sociocultural factors
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Summary:In this essay, we highlight the interplay between individuals’ psychological processes and sociocultural systems in producing and maintaining racial bias. We use a conceptual tool we call the culture cycle to map these dynamics, and illustrate them with research and in-depth examples from our work reducing racial disparities in routine policing in Oakland, California. We feature the most common police encounter – the vehicle stop – and highlight evidence-based interventions we developed both to reduce the frequency of vehicle stops and mitigate racial disparities in stops. Throughout, we draw on our expertise in the social psychology of bias, culture, and inequality, as well as our experiences building research-driven partnerships with public- and private-sector leaders, to inform organizational and societal change.
ISSN:0011-5266
1548-6192
DOI:10.1162/daed_a_02052