Credibility assessment in context: the influence of intergroup bias and the context of the crime. Issue 5 (28th May 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rozmann, Nir; Nahari, Galit
• Is Part Of: Psychology, crime & law. Volume 28:Issue 5(2022)
• Page Start: 454
• Page End: 469
• Publication Date: 2022-05-28
• Subjects: Crime context -- intergroup bias -- credibility assessment -- social identity theory -- alibi; Criminal psychology -- Periodicals; Law -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; 364.3
• DOI: 10.1080/1068316X.2021.1909021
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1068-316X

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The current study examined how the context of the crime and the ethnic affiliations of the suspects and participants influenced credibility assessments with respect to in- and out-group suspects. The 200 participants, half Israeli-Jewish and half Israeli-Arab, assessed the credibility of an alibi statement provided be either an Israeli-Jewish or an Israeli-Arab suspect accused of vandalism in either an ethnic-based or neutral-based context. The results indicate that the context of the crime moderated the effect of intergroup bias on credibility assessment among Israeli-Arab participants (out-group members). Under both crime contexts, Israeli-Jewish suspects were perceived as less credible than Israeli-Arab suspects. However, for Israeli-Arab, the effect of intergroup bias was stronger in the ethnic-based context than in the neutral-based context. Overall, the results suggest that Israeli-Arab group might have felt threatened by the ethnic-based context, which could have increased the group bias in their judgments, as compared to the Israeli-Jewish group.