https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/03/14/psychologists-we-see-black-men-as-larger-and-stronger-than-white-men-even-when-theyre-not/?tid=ss_fb&utm_term=.873d84e9d401
Even if white and black men are the same heights and weights, people tend to perceive black men as taller, more muscular and heavier. So said a psychological survey, published Monday in the American Psychological Association’s Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, exploring stereotypes about perceptions of male bodies.
http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/2017-11085-001/ is the study, but it is behind a pay wall.
According to the Washington Post article, black and non-black observers did not differ in how they believed that black men were stronger than white men who were actually the same size, but did differ in how much of a physical threat they could be.
Ben Guarino in Washington Post:
The psychologists asked participants to gauge the men’s capability of causing physical harm. The researchers also wanted to know, if the men in the photos were acting aggressively, whether participants thought police would be justified in using force while making an arrest. Black observers did not rate black men as more likely to cause harm.
But nonblack participants did. These participants also indicated that, if police were to use force to subdue the men, it was more likely to be justified in the cases where the men were black. That is, although black and white participants equally overestimated the strength of black men, only nonblack observers considered the black men to be more dangerous.
What can be done about this?
I perceive most/all men to be more capable of causing physical harm than most/all women. When I’m in a dark parking lot and come upon a male (not elderly), I’m more cautious than I am if I come upon a woman.