ABSTRACT
Previous research has consistently demonstrated that negative stereotypes are automatically activated when individuals encounter members of stigmatised groups. These stereotypes, even when unintended, may subtly impact people’s decisions (Macrae & Bodenhausen, 2000). To investigate this phenomenon, the present study employs an innovative methodological approach known as crisp-set qualitative comparative analysis (csQCA). This approach facilitates the identification of causal relationships between racial/religious stereotypes and the outcomes of criminal investigations. The present research methodology involves semi-structured interviews conducted individually with 20 police officers. Each officer was presented with the same scenario, differing only in the name of the suspect. Half of the sample referred to an indigenous person from the United Kingdom, while the other half referred to a suspect with an obvious Muslim name. The findings were obtained through fine-grained grounded theory analysis and csQCA. These findings shed light on how some officers appeared to confirm their initial hypotheses about the guilt of the Muslim suspect while disregarding or downplaying conflicting evidence. The present study underscores the potential influence of perceived negative stereotypes based on a suspect’s group membership on officers’ decision-making during investigations. Such influences could ultimately lead to different outcomes in criminal investigations involving suspects from various community groups. Taken in conjunction with the findings from previous chapters, this study concludes that prejudicial stereotyping based on a suspect’s group membership appears to have a significant influence on the outcome of criminal investigations.
