Understanding vehicle consent search requests through the use of the social conditioning model and illusory correlation
| Published date | 01 December 2023 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/14613557231182051 |
| Author | Ella Waldspurger,Anthony G Vito |
| Date | 01 December 2023 |
| Subject Matter | Original Research Articles |
Understanding vehicle consent search
requests through the use of the social
conditioning model and illusory correlation
Ella Waldspurger
Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Ball State University, USA
Anthony G Vito
Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Ball State University, USA
Abstract
Previous studies show racial or ethnic bias in police decision-making for consent search requests. Yet, few studies apply
the social conditioning model and illusory correlation to explain an officer’s decision-making for requesting consen t to
search the driver’s vehicle. Furthermore, a potential consideration when using this theory has not considered the pos sible
explanation that the officer may also conduct such a request because the officer views the citizen as “out-of-place ”. This
study uses Illinois traffic stop data from 2016 to 2018 for municipal agencies with a minority representation of less than
one (i.e., less-diverse police department and a greater chance that the officer involved in the stop is White) and includes
one measure from the 2016 Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics. Utilizing propensity score
matching to match the drivers based on race/ethnicity and gender, the current findings show that non-White drivers
and non-White male drivers, who are stopped by police serving predominately White areas and who serve in a less-
diverse police department, are more likely to have an officer request consent to search their vehicle. These findings
are consistent with racial profiling and support the social conditioning model and illusory correlation as an appropriate
theoretical explanation for police officers. Moreover, the officer’s decision-making could be based on an individual driver
stopped by an officer serving a predominately White community and interacting with a less-diverse police department.
The officer may view the minority driver as being “out-of-place”, which is an additional reason for the officer to request
consent to search the minority driver’s vehicle.
Keywords
Racial profiling, social conditioning model, illusory correlation, vehicle consent search requests, propensity score
matching, out-of-place
Submitted 5 Jul 2022, Revise received 2 May 2023, accepted 22 May 2023
Introduction
Issues regarding how police may mistreat minorities, based
on a citizen’s race or ethnicity, remain a concern in the
United States, especially regarding decision-making
during traffic stops. The number one reported type of
police-initiated contact continues to be traffic stops
Corresponding author:
Anthony G Vito, Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Ball
State University, North Quad Building Room 278, Muncie, IN, 47306,
USA.
Email: agvito@bsu.edu
Original Research Article
International Journal of
Police Science & Management
2023, Vol. 25(4) 433–447
© The Author(s) 2023
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DOI: 10.1177/14613557231182051
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