@article{ref1,
title="The weapon focus effect is weaker with Black versus White male perpetrators",
journal="Memory",
year="2018",
author="Pickel, Kerri L. and Sneyd, Danielle E.",
volume="26",
number="1",
pages="29-41",
abstract="We compared the influence of a weapon's presence on eyewitnesses' memory for a White versus a Black male perpetrator. Prior data indicate that unusual objects in visual scenes attract attention and that a weapon's effect depends on how unusual it seems within the context in which it appears. Therefore, given the stereotype linking Black men and weapons, we predicted a weaker weapon focus effect with the Black perpetrator. The results of Experiment 1 supported this hypothesis using White and Black witnesses. Moreover, in Experiment 2 the weapon focus effect became nonsignificant when the Black perpetrator wore a style of clothing that is strongly associated with Black men. We propose that observing an armed Black perpetrator automatically activates a stereotype linking Black men with weapons and crime, which in turn reduces the perceived unusualness of the weapon and thus its ability to attract attention.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0965-8211",
doi="10.1080/09658211.2017.1317814",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09658211.2017.1317814"
}