On Crime in Context: How Space-Focused Racial Stereotypes Shape Perceptions of Criminality

In the present study, I investigated how racially associated physical spaces influence person-perception in the criminal domain, along with the moderating effects of space-focused racial stereotypes on this relationship. In particular, with this study I investigated how a person’s race (Black or White) and/or the neighborhood context (inner-city, suburb, unspecified) influences the extent to which people perceive ambiguous actions as criminal, and the moderating roles of White and Black space stereotypes—space-focused racial stereotypes. I found some support for my hypothesis. Of note, results show that in the suburban neighborhood, as people’s awareness of White space stereotypes increase, so too do their ratings of the Black target’s criminality. Together, this study shows that context mattes in person perception. Further research should investigate how other contexts, especially those with stereotypes attached, are able to influence person-perception. Future work should also investigate these research questions among different, i.e., non-White, populations.