Influence of Imagery

With cell phones and social media, anyone can be a journalist. In the midst of an event, picking up one’s cellphone, pressing record, and sharing with the internet has never been easier. So much so, police-citizen interactions, usually those taped on phones or body cameras, have gained national attention, leading many to investigate the effects of observing this content. But, despite studies demonstrating the power that pictures can hold, there remains limited research on how still images affect individuals’ perceptions of police, particularly in response to these publicized encounters. The current study attempts to address this gap by examining how different visual portrayals of police influence individuals’ appraisals of an officer-involved event, their emotional responses, and their support for law-enforcement-related policies. Participants received neutral, contextual information regarding police presence at a protest before viewing images depicting police as either community-oriented protectors or aggressive and abusive authoritarians. In-person questionnaires were used to assess participants’ interpretations of the event, their elicited emotions, and their support for relevant policies. It is hypothesized that community-oriented portrayals will elicit more positive appraisals and emotions, along with greater support for pro-police policies. Conversely, aggressive and abusive authoritarian portrayals are expected to evoke more negative appraisals and emotions, as well as support for anti-police policies and those promoting police accountability and reform. Data analysis is currently ongoing.