Even motivated, low-prejudice people differ widely in regulating biased behavior

Evidence

To the extent that cues for control become well learned, low-prejudice people should become highly efficient at eliminating prejudice and should, in effect, break the prejudice habit. However, evidence suggests that there is considerable variability in the effectiveness with which low-prejudice people regulate behavioral expressions of prejudice (e.g., Devine & Monteith, 1999; see also Dovidio, Kawakami & Gartner, 2002). Whereas some low-prejudice people are good at regulating prejudice (i.e., effective at inhibiting prejudice), others are less effective (see, for example, Amodio, Harmon-Jones, & Devine, 2003; Devine et al., 2002). Drawing on insights from the cognitive neuroscience literature, Amodio, Devine, and Harmon- Jones (2004; Amodio, Harmon-Jones, et al., 2004) explored the possibility that examining differences in underlying brain activity can help to clarify the types of processes used to exert control and reveal differences among effective and less effective prejudice regulators in the use of such processes. — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 2110

To the extent that cues for control become well learned, low-prejudice people should become highly efficient at eliminating prejudice and should, in effect, break the prejudice habit. However, evidence suggests that there is considerable variability in the effectiveness with which low-prejudice people regulate behavioral expressions of prejudice (e.g., Devine & Monteith, 1999; see also Dovidio, Kawakami & Gartner, 2002). Whereas some low-prejudice people are good at regulating prejudice (i.e., effective at inhibiting prejudice), others are less effective (see, for example, Amodio, Harmon-Jones, & Devine, 2003; Devine et al., 2002). Drawing on insights from the cognitive neuroscience literature, Amodio, Devine, and Harmon- Jones (2004; Amodio, Harmon-Jones, et al., 2004) explored the possibility that examining differences in underlying brain activity can help to clarify the types of processes used to exert control and reveal differences among effective and less effective prejudice regulators in the use of such processes. — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 2110

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the book’s own earlier theme of implicit vs. explicit racism — and the discrepancy is a real puzzle for egalitarian-intent claims.
• QUESTION: The variability finding undercuts any clean binary assumed in contact-theory framings — worth chasing what predicts effective versus ineffective regulators.
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice: Fifty Years…, 2110; , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 2110