Implicit out-group bias triggers measurable physiological threat responses

Evidence

In some instances, the threat that individuals experience in these ambiguous situations has been associated with a corresponding physiological pattern. For instance, Blascovich, Mendes, Hunter, Lickel, and Kowai-Bell (2001) found that participants who had little prior intergroup contact exhibited more physiological markers of threat in intergroup interactions compared to participants who had more intergroup contact. In a similar vein, Phelps and colleagues (2000) have shown that variability in amygdala activation in White subjects was associated with implicit negative attitudes in reaction to seeing a Black face compared to a White face. Importantly, the region that was activated, the left-superior amygdala, is also known to become activated when viewing faces with fearful expressions, suggesting that negative attitudes toward the out-group are associated with a physiological threat response when encountering members of that out-group (Phelps et al., 2000). — Joseph Avery, Jim Sidanius, Joel Cooper, Gregory Davis, Amanda N., Bias in the Law, 277

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the chapter’s broader theme that ambiguous-situation 911 calls may stem from physiological threat appraisals rather than explicit racial animus — complements the intergroup-threat literature in social psychology. — connects to: Group-defense reactions can be triggered without any conscious perception of group threat; Online racial abuse triggers measurable physiological stress responses — Philip S. Gorski and Samuel L. Perry, The Flag and the Cross: White Christian…, 15; Group-level threats trigger bias even absent direct threat to the self. — Blake M. Riek, Eric W. Mania, and Samuel L. Gaertner, Intergroup Threat and Outgroup…, 28
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Joseph Avery, Jim Sidanius, Joel Cooper, Gregory Davis, Amanda N., Bias in the Law: A Definitive Look at…, 277