News Media & Social Judgments 2
Abstract
The present study utilizes a social cognitive framework in experimentally investigating
the relationship between viewers’ social judgments and exposure to television news portrayals
that intersect race and violent crime. Results revealed significant differences between women
and men in evaluations of criminal suspects presented in these TV news reports of rape.
However, only minimal support was found in support of the prediction that the race of the
perpetrator would be associated with allocations of prison sentences.
The hypothesized
interaction between sex of participant and suspect race was not supported. The implications and
limitations of these findings are discussed.