Researchers Try to Cure Racism By Brandon Keim January 20, 2009 | 8:25:42 PMCategories: Behavior
As the first African-American president in United States history takes office, researchers have shown that it may be possible to scientifically reduce racial bias.
After being trained to distinguish between similar black male faces, Caucasian test subjects showed greater racial tolerance on a test designed to to measure unconscious bias.
The results are still preliminary, have yet to be replicated, and the real-world effects of reducing bias in a controlled laboratory setting are not clear. But for all those caveats, the findings add to a growing body of research suggesting that science can battle racism.
"Any time you can get people to treat people as individuals, you reduce the effect of stereotypes," said Brown University cognitive scientist Michael Tarr. "It won't solve racism, but it could have profound real-world effects."
Tarr's findings overlap with other results suggesting that the key to reducing racial bias — at least in a short-term, laboratory setting — is exposure to people in personalized ways that challenge stereotypes. This is hardly a new notion: it's the essence of the contact hypothesis, formulated in the mid-20th century and the basis of integrated schooling.
But unlike carefully structured social mixing, with precisely controlled conditions of interdependence and equality, Tarr and others raise the possibility of a a lab-based shortcut to bias reduction.
Underpinning this research is the Implicit Association Test, used by psychologists to measure deep-rooted, often unconscious biases. During the test, subjects are measured on the time it takes to associate faces with positive or negative words. If, for example, someone more quickly associates negative words with minority rather than white faces, they're likely to have a bias — a bias that translates into a tendency to hire same-race workers, choose same-race partners, and find minority defendants guilty.
If the bias can be changed, perhaps the behavior will follow.
"The entire idea of neural plasticity is a new one. We didn't think that the brain was capable of change as we now know it to be," said Mahzarin Banaji, a Harvard University psychologist whose online Project Implicit has administered 4.5 million bias tests in the last decade. "The bias stuff we learn is heading in that direction, telling us that there is the ability to change."
"It's remarkable that our brain is so flexible that 10 hours of training will affect something that is the product of your whole life experience," said Tarr, who hopes his work will lead to race training for people working in potentially race-sensitive situations, such as police officers, social workers and immigration officials.
In a study published Tuesday in Public Library of Science ONE, Tarr's team put 20 Caucasian college students through ten hours of face-identification training, testing their ability to discern previously-seen from unknown faces. Students with the largest improvements in face memory also showed significant improvements on a variation of the Implicit Association Test.
According to Banaji, a brief talk about working for women suffices to reduce gender bias. City University of New York psychologist Curtis Hardin showed that having black experimenters administer a test produced lower bias scores among white subjects.
In one of the few attempts to measure bias change and brain activity, Princeton University psychologist Susan Fiske simultaneously presented test subjects with pictures of black people and vegetables. When asked what the person in the picture liked to eat, activity in the amygdala — a brain region that modulates fear — subsided.
"Amygdala activation goes away as soon as you start to think of people as individuals," said Fiske.
These results are promising, but it's too soon to say whether they're long-lasting, or will translate to real-world improvements in behavior.
"Our biggest concern is that if we have participants come into a lab and do some exercises, then the context is so specific that it may only work if they see an African-American in a lab," said Bertram Gawronski, a University of Western Ontario cognitive scientist. "It's really important that it's done in different contexts, and that people are repeatedly bombarded with counter-attitudinal information."
For at least the next four years, however, the United States will collectively undergo a real-world experiment in stereotype defiance.
"The first black president — that's going to have a huge effect on things that come to mind," said Ohio State University psychologist Richard Petty. "Instead of just negative associations, there will be all sorts of positive associations."
Quote: I got a simple solution. Brain dead stupid parents can stop teaching their kids to be racist. Problem solved
True, GM- but don't expect that to happen overnight.
...since the beginning of time, it's always been easier for folks to use their "southern organs" than their "northern" one.
but it is getting better....
Quote: Only thing to cure it is time.
I've seen it even in my lifetime. As the US continues to be the "melting pot" for the world, most citizens seem to make more room for differences. There will probably always be some "Neaderthal Throwbacks," but their numbers do seem to be dwindling.
It's not always the parents. I know racist people who did not have racist parents. As people get older they can look around society and make their own judgement call. Everyone's a little racist no matter what color. Just everyone wont admit it because they are afraid it will make them a bad person. I'm not talking about extreme levels of racism, but even as simple as avoiding certain parts of town because of the color of majority of people and associating that with a crime rate.
I disagree. I don't think everybody is racist. I stayed in downtown Detroit for a few days several years ago. I showed up as everybody was heading into a rap concert. Checked into the hotel, and headed out to see what was close to the hotel. Walked around Detroit for about an hour (never once saw another white hillybilly like myself) I then spent the rest of the night in the bar (yep the only white guy there as well) I never once felt out of place, however I did have several people in the bar tell me I was nuts for walking around downtown Detroit by myself
Detroits the biggest Jekyl and Hyde city I ever seen. Of course I haven't been to many other cities. Me and the girlfriend were walking around down there a couple years ago and I was thinkin, wow this is a nice city all up to date. Well we walked to far and as I took a gander across the street it went total trash with broken street lights, rusty signs, and abandon buildings. The side we were on was all shiny and like the land of Oz. I just told her to pretend your not scared and if someone attacks run and I'll take the knife.
I agree and disagree with you....in that, everyone has some level of racial predjudice...it's natural. Not everyone is racist. Being racist is ACTING upon a racial predjudice. Being racially predjudiced is having a preconceived notion about that person based on their race. At that point you can choose to treat that person poorly, or accept them for who they are.
"My country is the world, and my religion is to do good" Thomas Paine
Make it a law that everyone has to have kids with people of other races. We will all be the same. The thing is people will find something else to hate on. The only cure is for people to change the minds and hearts of others. Hopefully someday this will happen.
I am friends with a guy who is probably the most racist/sexist/homo-phobiest person I have ever met. Examples:
1) Black people should thank white people for bringing them over on slave ships. If they had stayed in Africa, their life would be worse.
2) Tell your wife to breastfeed your newborn so you don't have to get up in the middle of the night. Let her take care of it.
3) The biggest fear in my life is that my son will be gay. I can't stand how they teach tolerance of gay people on TV.
Those are all things he has said in all seriousness. I usually just shake my head or tell him that he is a moron.
In my experience, racism hasn't really improved. Granted, I haven't been around as long as some of you, and I didn't live through the really tumultuous times like the 60s.
But, I know a number of people who would absolutely go through the roof if their son or daughter dated someone who wasn't white. Hell, I know a lady whose son is home schooled because he doesn't want to go to school with black kids.
I generally surround myself with good people who could care less about a person's race, but I certainly know a lot of people who are absolutely livid not because they disagree with the President or because he's a Democrat but because he's black.
However, as time goes on, we don't really have much choice but to be more accepting. For me, it's not a problem because that's how I was raised. For others, it happens slowly.
There are plenty of people from all races and backgrounds who are never going to like each other. I think the vast majority of people are at least tolerant of one another and can look past the differences and even embrace them.
Weren't you the one who was so certain that if Obama wasn't elected it would be because of his race? I still submit that his race was a big part of why he was elected.
Believe me, I was surprised as anyone that he won. And, you could be right that his race was a big factor in him being elected. But, I am pretty cynical when it comes to race.
What's amazing is that I actually hang out with a lot of very educated people. And, the people who are that racist are really a pretty small fraction of my group of friends.
But, generally, once someone displays their racist side, I don't hang out with them much after that. The guy I was talking about is on a rec basketball team I'm on, and that's about the only time I talk to him.
Then again, is it racist to group all Steelers fans into a group and want to spit on them every time I see them?
Quote: 1) Black people should thank white people for bringing them over on slave ships. If they had stayed in Africa, their life would be worse.
They should. I mean being beat and watching others die on the ships coming here isn't too big of a price. Once they got here they were taken care of. They got free food and shelter. Life is tough for everyone. So what if your families were ripped apart. So you had to work a little harder than plow animals. Hey, is it really a bad thing if your women get a little extra sex? You know they wanted it.
I do understand what your friend is trying to say. Blacks in this country are better off being here than being in some parts of Africa. The thing is there are many Africans who have moved here all by themselves for a better life. I think most African Americans would have rather their ancestors make the choice for the instead of slave traders. I bet there are at least a couple of African Americans that would like to know where they came from. I don't really give a crap about where my ancestors were from but at least I know from what country and region the are from. For someone who cares about these sort of things it would be nice if they could at least narrow it down from a whole continent.
Quote: Tell your wife to breastfeed your newborn so you don't have to get up in the middle of the night. Let her take care of it.
Sorry, he's right. That's woman's work and I don't think I need to be bothered in the middle of the night....BTW my wife bottle feed...Err we bottle fed.
Quote: The biggest fear in my life is that my son will be gay. I can't stand how they teach tolerance of gay people on TV.
As to the first part...It isn't my biggest fear but I do worry about it. I don't worry because my kids might be gay but because of how much tougher life could be for them. Bottom line for me is that they end up happy in a loving relationship. I have a cousin who is in her late 20's who has been in a committed relationship for 7 years. The thing is she still has it rough because her other half is also a she. I didn't know about this until recently. Our family doesn't say a word about it and she isn't welcomed. My cousin is forced to make a choice that she should never have to. Her family by birth, or her family by love. Now if her family who loves her (they do very much but unfortunately they treat them badly in so far as they don't want to acknowledge the relationship) gives her this much trouble, what would the community as a whole do?
We do have some people on here who live with this every day. I would like to here their take if they choose to give it.
Quote: I still submit that his race was a big part of why he was elected.
Understandable that you could feel that way, Jules... I see it just a little differently.
I personally believe that he got hired to the job because of a few other, more overriding things:
1. The kind of message he sent out, and the timing of that message. (Valid or not, what he said got him noticed... and on the nation's radar/national stage...) 2. The coordinated grassroots efforts by his early supporters 3. The use of the internet and other tech-related means of 'reaching out' to undecided/potential voters 4. "The Bush Factor" 5. "The Age/Generational Factor" 6. The comparatively disorganized, uncoordinated campaign run by the Republicans, and the "out of character" persona adopted by John McCain during his campaign 7. The fatigue and disillusionment of the American voting public....
I could go on, but further points would just be 'gilding the lily'.
Barack Obama's bid for the White House was certainly helped by the influx of newly-registered Af-Am voters... that much cannot be denied. But, please- let's be real here- Dude won the votes in Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, North Carolina, Florida, Maine, Vermont, Nevada, New Mexico and Michigan... states that don't exactly boast a high number of registered Black voters per capita.
On top of that, we should also be aware of the fact that an Af-Am presidential candidate isn't exactly a new thing. Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Shirley Chisholm, Julian Bond, Leonora Fulani, Douglas Wilder, Douglas Keyes ( -a Republican Conservative. btw), Carol Mosely Braun, and even Frederick Douglass all ran before him, with almost NO impact on the national stage. Their ethnicity didn't seem to help them during their bids, did it?
If "racism" or at least, "race awareness/support" was key to Barack Obama's win in 2008, we'd have seen more substantive rumblings in the past, leading up to this recent campaign. Instead, we've seen minimal and marginal effects by ANY and EVERY Black candidate on the national scene, prior to 2008.
To put it as simply as I can... European-Americans elected Barack Obama to his present job. Af-Ams simply don't posess the numbers necessary to make such a phenomenon happen.
So... in a sense you may be right. Larger numbers of Black Voter Turnout may have contributed to Obama's win...
But, by and large, White Americans chose him to be our leader. In 2008, they still comprised the lion's share of our nation's voting populace.
Between you and me, I think that Obama's election was the result of a "perfect storm," of sorts. He was just 'mainstream enough, just 'Black enough, just 'White' enough, just 'eriudite enough' and most importantly, just 'Anti-Bush enough' to 'make hay while the sun shone' upon his candidacy.
Is he The AntiChrist? Nope. Is he "The Messiah?" ... Please... He's just a shrewd politician who may or may not lead us well. It's too early in his tenure to tell, for sure.
He's a guy who came in at the right time, with the right schpiel, and the right-sounding message to win a job from the American voting populace- nothing more, nothing less.
He's smart... He's shrewd... He's new to us all...and he just happens to be Black.... (sort of... -kinda like me... )
...but to say that his ethnicity was a BIG factor in his victory is juuuuuuuuuuust a bit too simplistic, from my point-of-view. Too many other factors take precident over that angle.
Granted, this is only MHO... and your mileage may vary- but I just thought I'd give you my take on things as they seem to me.
Still dig ya to the end, Jules- and just giving you a little something extra to ponder, Clem
I said it was a big part, not once did I claim it was the only reason. I don't think as simplisticly as you seem to believe. I understand the other other reasons quite well.
You also seem to believe that I meant only black people voted for him because he is black. Nowhere did I ever imply that. I believe many white people voted for him in part because of his race.
Really no reason for your long drawn out explanation because it was due to some incorrect assumptions on your part. But, I still dig you too.
Many people voted for Barack based on..............well, here's an example. My cousin and her fiance - each almost 30 - never voted for anything before. Nothing. Had never voted.
They follow politics as closely as they follow the growth of my toe nails - which is to say - not at all.
They voted for Barack this election. Why? Their reply "he sounded good".
Quote: Many people voted for Barack based on..............well, here's an example. My cousin and her fiance - each almost 30 - never voted for anything before. Nothing. Had never voted.
They follow politics as closely as they follow the growth of my toe nails - which is to say - not at all.
They voted for Barack this election. Why? Their reply "he sounded good".
I think that's probably indicative of roughly 75% of all voters in any given election.
I believe racism will eventually disappear from society. It would be nice if racism was gone throughout the world. But,so long as bigots exist .. there is nothing we can do.
Ooops.
I then spent the rest of the night in the bar (yep the only white guy there as well) I never once felt out of place, however I did have several people in the bar tell me I was nuts for walking around downtown Detroit by myself 
