TELEVISION POLICE SHOWS AND ATTITUDES TOWARD THE POLICE

• NCJ Number: 56175
• Journal: Journal of Police Science and Administration Volume: 7 Issue: 1 Dated: (MARCH 1979) Pages: 104-113
• Author(s): R SCHAEFER; W G VANDERBOK; E WISNOSKI
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 10 pages
• Corporate Author: International Assoc of Chiefs of Police
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

RESULTS ARE REPORTED FROM A STUDY DESIGNED TO MEASURE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE EXTENT OF WATCHING OF TELEVISION (TV) POLICE SHOWS AND ATTITUDES TOWARD THE POLICE.

Abstract

THE MAJOR VARIABLES EXAMINED WERE OPERATIONALIZED USING THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURES: (1) EXTENT OF EXPOSURE TO TELEVISION POLICE SHOWS--DETERMINED BY PROVIDING RESPONDENTS WITH A LIST OF TV POLICE SHOWS AND ASKING THEM TO INDICATE WHICH THEY WATCHED ON A WEEKLY BASIS; (2) MEDIA SOURCE--DETERMINED BY ASKING RESPONDENTS FROM WHAT SOURCE THEY RECEIVE THEIR 'PRIMARY IMAGE OF WHAT THE POLICE DO'; (3) POLICE ROLE--DETERMINED BY ASKING RESPONDENTS TO READ 18 1-SENTENCE SITUATIONS, DRAWN LARGELY FROM STUDIES OF ACTUAL POLICE BEHAVIOR, AND INDICATE WHETHER OR NOT THEY BELIEVE POLICE SHOULD HAVE DEALT WITH EACH SITUATION; (4) POLICE POWERS--DETERMINED BY ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT HYPOTHETICAL USES OF POLICE POWER; (5) POLICE IMAGE--DETERMINED BY ASKING RESPONDENTS TO INDICATE THEIR EVALUATION OF THE JOB DONE BY THEIR LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT; AND (6) CITIZEN SAFETY--DETERMINED BY ASKING RESPONDENTS ABOUT THEIR CHANCES OF BECOMING VICTIMS OF PARTICULAR CRIMES. ATHENS, OHIO, AN ALMOST ALL-WHITE COMMUNITY OF 23,000 LOCATED IN A PREDOMINANTLY RURAL AND SOMEWHAT ECONOMICALLY DEPRESSED AREA WITH POLITICAL AND SOCIAL LIFE LIBERALIZED BY THE INFLUENCE OF A LARGE STATE UNIVERSITY, AND LUBBOCK, TEX., A LARGER, ECONOMICALLY HEALTHY CITY OF CONSERVATIVE POLITICAL LEANINGS AND RACIALLY MIXED POPULATION (80 PERCENT WHITE, 8 PERCENT BLACK, AND 12 PERCENT MEXICAN AMERICAN) WERE THE CITIES FROM WHICH RESPONDENTS WERE DRAWN, WITH 132 IN A RANDOM SAMPLE FROM ATHENS AND 142 FROM LUBBOCK. WHILE STUDY RESULTS SHOWED THAT AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION, TV DOES NOT APPARENTLY HAVE UNIQUE IMPORTANCE IN ATTITUDE FORMATION REGARDING POLICE, FREQUENCY OF VIEWING DOES SEEM TO HAVE AN INDEPENDENT, THOUGH MINIMAL ASSOCIATION WITH ATTITUDES TOWARD POLICE FOSTERED BY THE CONTENT OF TV SHOWS (POLICE PRIMARILY DEALING WITH SERIOUS CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, POLICE DISREGARD FOR LEGAL LIMITATIONS, AND THE EXTENT OF POLICE CORRUPTION). SUPPORTING DATA ARE TABULATED. (RCB)