Attitudes of suspicion, perceptions of criminality and willingness to report Muslims in Canada

Abstract

The current research incorporated two studies to examine stigma toward Muslims within a forensic psychology framework. The studies utilized fictional news coverage to assess participant’s attitudes of suspicion, perceptions of criminality and willingness to report Muslims vs. control suspects. In Study 1, 216 students from a Canadian university read about a suspicious event involving Muslims vs. control, conducted by Muslim and non-Muslim experimenters. In Study 2, 192 students read about either a burglary (home invasion) or explosion (terrorism) crime scenario, where the identity of the “person of interest” was either Muslim or Caucasian, conducted by either Muslim or non-Muslim experimenters. Results of Study 1 indicate greater suspicion toward suspects with Muslim experimenters, whereas Study 2 demonstrated greater suspicion, perceptions of criminality and willingness to report the Caucasian person of interest. The findings are discussed in terms of aversive racism and the implications for Canadian Muslims in forensic settings.