Symbolic or realistic? The role of perceived threat in alibi credibility judgement

The integrated threat theory (ITT) highlights the role of symbolic and realistic threats in predicting negative attitudes towards out-group members. However, little is known about how perceived threat may influence credibility judgement. Drawing from social identity theory and ITT, this study aims to expand current knowledge by examining a conceptual model. The model posits that perceived realistic and symbolic threat moderate the relationship between a suspect's ethnicity and credibility judgement. 404 Israeli-Jewish students participated, reading an alibi statement provided by either an Israeli-Jewish or an Israeli-Arab suspect, then answering questions about the credibility of the alibi statement and perceived threat. As hypothesised, the Israeli-Jewish suspect's alibi was perceived more credible than the Israeli-Arab's alibi. Also, symbolic threat moderates the relationship between a suspect's ethnicity and credibility judgement. These results underscore the importance of understanding majority-minority relations in criminology.