ERIC Number: EJ993768
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Oct
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0096-1523
EISSN: N/A
Action Alters Object Identification: Wielding a Gun Increases the Bias to See Guns
Witt, Jessica K.; Brockmole, James R.
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, v38 n5 p1159-1167 Oct 2012
Stereotypes, expectations, and emotions influence an observer's ability to detect and categorize objects as guns. In light of recent work in action-perception interactions, however, there is another unexplored factor that may be critical: The action choices available to the perceiver. In five experiments, participants determined whether another person was holding a gun or a neutral object. Critically, the participant did this while holding and responding with either a gun or a neutral object. Responding with a gun biased observers to report "gun present" more than did responding with a ball. Thus, by virtue of affording a perceiver the opportunity to use a gun, he or she was more likely to classify objects in a scene as a gun and, as a result, to engage in threat-induced behavior (raising a firearm to shoot). In addition to theoretical implications for event perception and object identification, these findings have practical implications for law enforcement and public safety. (Contains 3 tables, 6 figures and 1 footnote.)
Descriptors: Weapons, Identification, Stereotypes, Visual Perception, Bias, Law Enforcement, Cognitive Psychology, Coding, Computer Assisted Testing, Response Style (Tests), Stimuli
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Indiana
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A