Posted on 09/25/2007 6:59:50 PM PDT by blam
Source: Association for Psychological Science
Date: September 26, 2007
Why Few People Are Devoid Of Racial Bias
Science Daily — Why are some individuals not prejudiced? That is the question posed by a provocative new study appearing in the September issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
The authors investigate how some individuals are able to avoid prejudicial biases despite the pervasive human tendency to favor one's own group.
Robert Livingston of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and Brian Drwecki of the University of Wisconsin conducted studies that examined white college students who harbored either some or no racial biases.
What is remarkable about the findings is that only seven percent did not show any racial bias (as measured by implicit and explicit psychological tests), and that nonbiased individuals differed from biased individuals in a psychologically fundamental way -- they were less likely to form negative affective associations in general.
Subjects completed a task that repeatedly paired unfamiliar Chinese characters with pictures that evoked positive or negative emotions (e.g., puppies or snakes). The objective was to see whether unfamiliar Chinese characters could evoke emotions by simply being paired with pictures that evoked these emotions (i.e., classical conditioning).
Results showed that nonbiased individuals were less likely than biased individuals to acquire negative affect toward characters that were paired with negative pictures. This implies that people who display less racial bias may be more resistant to the kinds of real-world conditioning that leads to racial bias in our society.
The results suggest that "whether someone is prejudiced or not is linked to their cognitive propensity to resist negative affective conditioning," according to the authors. Thus, reducing prejudice may require more than simply adopting egalitarian values. Instead, such change may require reconditioning of the negative associations that people hold.
"Just as it is difficult to change visceral reactions to aversive foods (e.g., lima beans) through sheer force of will," writes Livingston, "it may also be difficult to change visceral attitudes toward racial groups by acknowledging that prejudice is wrong and wanting to change." The authors argue that although negative affect cannot be reduced by reason alone, it could be reconditioned through positive interpersonal experiences or exposure to more positive images of Blacks in the media.
Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by Association for Psychological Science.
How can we not consider race when it is thrown in our faces everyday by the media and the race-baiters?
“it may also be difficult to change visceral attitudes toward racial groups by acknowledging that prejudice is wrong and wanting to change.”
In review of the above I must acknowledging my “prejudice” —wrong as it is — that these idiots have GOT to be white guys: suffering from some sort of severe guilt complex?
Why must they project this crap on the rest of us?
I like lima beans... never mind!
A guy I know said he uses his shotgun to shoot cans.
AfriCANS
MexiCANS
Puerto RiCANS
TYPO: acknowledge NOT acknowledging
I defy any white person who thinks they aren’t prejudiced to come live in New Orleans. That will change your outlook real fast.
Only you know and I know that race doesn't exist. Only civilizational origins. And ethnic groups inside civilations. Take nice women from Brazil, Spain, China, Scotland, America, Russia and Japan and put them in the same room together. And take men from the same countries and put them in a room next door together.
I will bet the men will plan out how to stop the noise next door together without even knowing each other's languages.
“And why not conduct the same study among blacks?”
Becouse ONLY whites can be prejudiced — don’t you know.
If it wasn’t for “whitey” all other races would be one big happy family.
Stand by for your conditioning:
Is this really a surprise to anyone?
As visually-oriented as humans are that we would choose to associate with those who look like us as opposed to those who don’t?
When you buy a car, the way it looks matters just as much—if not more—than what’s under the hood. Yeah, we expect both. But the way a car looks has nothing to do with its utility. Same thing goes with everything down to a coffee cup.
Meanwhile, I’m trying to recall the last time I saw a symphony audience that was even 1% black. I’m having a hard time doing that, even having lived in Atlanta and Memphis.
well that just makes the snakes look real good
Get out. I was born in Newark and live in L.A. now. Stay away from people that run in packs on the streets. Leave. There are "refugee" communities from bad cities that are doing fine together from all ethnic groups that decided not to put up with crap anymore. There are 'problems' awaiting illegal aliens and gangsters around here and they know it. Find this kind of place and meet new friends.
Ever since paired unfamiliar Chinese characters killed my family, I have had an irrational bias against them. And Clowns. I hate those guys too.
LOL
That’s it!! You’re off the air for good!!
The worst of all are unfamiliar Chinese clowns....
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