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Project Three

Vaughan Graham

Southern New Hampshire University

PSY 260: Statistical Applications for the Behavioral and Social Sciences

Professor Nicole Ubinger

April 28, 2024

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Project Three

Topic from Project Three Milestone: The topic I have chosen to focus on for my project is
"Police striking adults". Given recent events in our country, I find this topic particularly
intriguing, and I am eager to learn more about the research involved.

Describe the key findings from your interpretation of the data for a general audience. Your
response should be about 2 to 4 sentences. Include the following in your response:
 Easy-to-understand statistical values (e.g., percentages)

The article "Police Striking Adults" presents ten different comparisons using data from 3
surveys conducted by the Pew Research Center. The article discusses the controversial
topic of race and policing and presents charts and data to make comparisons. One
survey from 2019 found that 84% of black and 63% of white adults believe that blacks
are mistreated more often than whites. Another survey from 2017, using data from
2016, collected the opinions of Pew survey respondents about the treatment of police
officers regarding race. The survey found that 75% of whites and 35% of blacks believed
that the police in their community were doing a good job.

Summarize the background information for the scientific community. Your response should be
about 3 to 5 sentences. Include the following in your response:
 Introduction to the research topic
 Credible background sources to support the introduction to the topic. Note: In the
Project Three Milestone, you reviewed credible sources to create your annotated bibli-
ography. Use those credible sources in this section or additional credible sources if
needed.

The authors conducted research to explore the relationship between race and law
enforcement in the United States, with the aim of contributing to a constructive
conversation on this sensitive issue. The article was inspired by a tragic incident of police
brutality against a black American male, which highlights the need for constructive
dialogue on policing and race. The article presents statistical data from three surveys
conducted by the Pew Research Center (DeSilver, D., Lipka, M. & Fahmy, D. (2020 Jun)
which provide valuable insights into the perspectives of both law enforcement and the
general public on this important topic.

Describe the major statistical findings for the scientific community. Your response should be
about 3 to 7 sentences. Include the following in your response:
 An explanation of at least two major findings
 An explanation contextualizing the graphs you will include in the next item to ensure
that the reader understands their purpose in the brief
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The article presents data from three surveys conducted by the Pew Research Center,
with charts and ten different comparisons on law enforcement policing and race. The
surveys, with a sample population of over 9,000 adult respondents in the US, provide a
comprehensive analysis of the public's perceptions of racial progression and policing in
America.The statistical data was measured using two surveys for the 2017 Pew Research
Center article "Beyond the Badge," which explored perceptions of race and police from
the public and law enforcement officers across the United States. The data sets were
compiled from a 2016 survey with 7,917 police officers in 54 law enforcement agencies
throughout the US, conducted by the National Police Research Platform (NPRP), and the
Pew Research Center American Panel survey, which had 4,538 adult respondents in the
US. This range of sources ensures a comprehensive and inclusive analysis.The article
includes two charts with responses from 301 adults on the topic of race and police
striking adults. These charts, designed for clarity and ease of understanding, show a
clear divide among individuals who find it acceptable or non-acceptable for a law
enforcement officer to strike a US adult male citizen in any situation. Among the 301
respondents, 111 (63%) said "No," while 190 said "Yes." The second chart provides a
breakdown of responses by race, indicating that 163 White, 17 Black, and 10 individuals
of other races agreed that it is acceptable for a law enforcement officer to strike a US
adult male citizen. Meanwhile, 53 White, 32 Black, and 26 individuals of other races
disagreed with this notion.Overall, the data presented in the article provides valuable
insights into the complex relationship between race, policing, and public perceptions in
America.

Represent the major statistical findings for the scientific community with graphs. Your response
should include a graph for each finding to support your description.
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Provide a concise summary appropriate for a general audience. Include the following in your
response:
 A restatement of why this research was completed and reminder of the key findings
 The application of the findings

Today, it is an undeniable fact that police officers still engage in heinous misconduct
toward the black community. An article presents the stark differences between the
perceptions of law enforcement and the public's views of policing and race. The article
provides concrete evidence through statistical data from surveys and reports by three
Pew Research Center studies in "10 Things We Know about Race and Policing in the
U.S." The findings of this article are unequivocal - race and policing play a significant role
in determining how blacks are treated unjustly more than whites by law enforcement
officers. The study found that out of 301 respondents, 190 agreed with the statement
that police strike adult males in society, while 111 disagreed.
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References

Desilver, D., Lipka, M., & Fahmy, D. (2020, June 3). 10 things we know about race and policingin

the U.S. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/06/03/10-

things-we-know-about-race-and-policing-in-the-u-s/ Graziano,

L. M., & Gauthier, J. F. (2017). Examining the racial-ethnic continuum and perceptions of police

misconduct. Policing and Society, 29(6), 1–16.

https://doi.org/10.1080/10439463.2017.1310859

Horowitz, J.M., Brown, A., & Cox, K. (2019 April 09). Race in America 2019. Pew Research

Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2019/04/09/race-in-america-

2019/#majorities-of-black-and-white-adults-say-blacks-are-treated-less-fairly-than-

whites-in-dealing-with-police-and-by-the-criminal-justice-system Morin,

R., Parker, K., Stepler, R., & Mercer, A. (2017 January 11). Behind the Badge.

https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2017/01/11/behind-the-badge/Pew

Research Center. (2016 August-September). 2016 Pew Research Center’s American

Trends Panel.

https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2017/01/06164356/W20-

Topline_SDT-for-Jan-17-release_FINAL.pdf