Majority Group Perceptions of Criminal Behavior: The Accuracy of Race-Related Crime Stereotypes†

  1. Randall A. Gordon1,*,
  2. Jennifer L. Michels2,
  3. Caroline L. Nelson3

Article first published online: 31 JUL 2006

DOI: 10.1111/j.1559-1816.1996.tb01843.x

Issue

Journal of Applied Social Psychology

Journal of Applied Social Psychology

Volume 26, Issue 2, pages 148–159, January 1996

Additional Information

How to Cite

Gordon, R. A., Michels, J. L. and Nelson, C. L. (1996), Majority Group Perceptions of Criminal Behavior: The Accuracy of Race-Related Crime Stereotypes. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 26: 148–159. doi: 10.1111/j.1559-1816.1996.tb01843.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    University of Minnesota, Duluth

  2. 2

    University of Southern Illinois at Carbondale

  3. 3

    Minnesota School of Professional Psychology

* Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Randall A. Gordon, Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Duluth, 336 Bohannon Hall, 10 University Drive, Duluth, MN 55812-2496. e-mail: rgordon@ub.d.umn.edu.

  • †

    Portions of this study were presented at the Ninth Annual Red River Psychology Conference in Fargo, North Dakota.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 31 JUL 2006
  2. Article first published online: 31 JUL 2006

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Majority group perceptions regarding the relative frequency of crimes committed by various races and ethnic groups were examined. White-collar crimes such as embezzlement and fraud were ranked as more common for White criminals, and blue-collar crimes such as aggravated assault and motor vehicle theft were ranked as more common for Black criminals. Perceptions were subsequently compared with data from the Uniform Crime Reports for the U.S. (U.S. Department of Justice, 1992). As a function of overestimating the number of white-collar crimes and underestimating the number of blue-collar and violent crimes committed by Whites, majority group subjects held somewhat more accurate perceptions of minority groups than of their own group.

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