1
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Caspar EA, Pech GP. Obedience to authority reduces cognitive conflict before an action. Soc Neurosci 2024:1-12. [PMID: 38975965 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2024.2376049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
How obeying orders impacts moral decision-making remains an open question, despite its significant societal implications. The goal of this study was to determine if cognitive conflict, indexed by mid-frontal theta activity observed before an action, is influenced by the context of obedience. Participants came in pairs and were assigned roles as either agent or victim. Those in the agent role could either decide freely or follow the experimenter's instructions to administer (or refrain from administering) a mildly painful electric shock to the victim in exchange for a small monetary reward. Mid-frontal theta activity was recorded before the agent made their keypress. Results indicated that mid-frontal theta activity was reduced when participants obeyed the experimenter's orders compared to when they acted of their own volition, even though the outcomes of the actions were similar. This finding suggests that obeying orders diminishes cognitive conflict preceding moral decisions that could harm another person. This study sheds light on a potential mechanism explaining how obedience can blurr morality and lessen our natural aversion to harming others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie A Caspar
- Moral & Social Brain Lab, Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Guillaume P Pech
- Center for Research in Cognition and Neuroscience, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
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2
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Schultner DT, Lindström BR, Cikara M, Amodio DM. Transmission of social bias through observational learning. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadk2030. [PMID: 38941465 PMCID: PMC11212708 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk2030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
People often rely on social learning-learning by observing others' actions and outcomes-to form preferences in advance of their own direct experiences. Although typically adaptive, we investigated whether social learning may also contribute to the formation and spread of prejudice. In six experiments (n = 1550), we demonstrate that by merely observing interactions between a prejudiced actor and social group members, observers acquired the prejudices of the actor. Moreover, observers were unaware of the actors' bias, misattributing their acquired group preferences to the behavior of group members, despite identical behavior between groups. Computational modeling revealed that this effect was due to value shaping, whereby one's preferences are shaped by another's actions toward a target, in addition to the target's reward feedback. These findings identify social learning as a potent mechanism of prejudice formation that operates implicitly and supports the transmission of intergroup bias.
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Affiliation(s)
- David T. Schultner
- Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Björn R. Lindström
- Division of Psychology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mina Cikara
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - David M. Amodio
- Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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3
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Forbes CE. On the neural networks of self and other bias and their role in emergent social interactions. Cortex 2024; 177:113-129. [PMID: 38848651 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2024.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
Extensive research has documented the brain networks that play an integral role in bias, or the alteration and filtration of information processing in a manner that fundamentally favors an individual. The roots of bias, whether self- or other-oriented, are a complex constellation of neural and psychological processes that start at the most fundamental levels of sensory processing. From the millisecond information is received in the brain it is filtered at various levels and through various brain networks in relation to extant intrinsic activity to provide individuals with a perception of reality that complements and satisfies the conscious perceptions they have for themselves and the cultures in which they were reared. The products of these interactions, in turn, are dynamically altered by the introduction of others, be they friends or strangers who are similar or different in socially meaningful ways. While much is known about the various ways that basic biases alter specific aspects of neural function to support various forms of bias, the breadth and scope of the phenomenon remains entirely unclear. The purpose of this review is to examine the brain networks that shape (i.e., bias) the self-concept and how interactions with similar (ingroup) compared to dissimilar (outgroup) others alter these network (and subsequent interpersonal) interactions in fundamental ways. Throughout, focus is placed on an emerging understanding of the brain as a complex system, which suggests that many of these network interactions likely occur on a non-linear scale that blurs the lines between network hierarchies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad E Forbes
- Social Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA; Florida Atlantic University Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute, USA.
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4
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Liu Y, Zhang Y, Zhong Y, Liu J, Zhang C, Meng Y, Pang N, Cheng X, Wang H. Favoritism or bias? Cooperation and competition under different intergroup relationships: evidence from EEG hyperscanning. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae131. [PMID: 38566514 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Cooperation and competition are the most common forms of social interaction in various social relationships. Intergroup relationships have been posited to influence individuals' interpersonal interactions significantly. Using electroencephalography hyperscanning, this study aimed to establish whether intergroup relationships influence interpersonal cooperation and competition and the underlying neural mechanisms. According to the results, the in-group Coop-index is better than the out-group, whereas the out-group Comp-index is stronger than the in-group. The in-group functional connectivity between the frontal-central region and the right temporoparietal junction in the β band was stronger in competition than cooperation. The out-group functional connectivity between the frontal-central region and the left temporoparietal junction in the α band was stronger in cooperation than competition. In both cooperation and competition, the in-group exhibited higher interbrain synchronization between the prefrontal cortex and parietal region in the θ band, as well as between the frontal-central region and frontal-central region in the α band, compared to the out-group. The intrabrain phase-locking value in both the α and β bands can effectively predict performance in competition tasks. Interbrain phase-locking value in both the α and θ bands can be effectively predicted in a performance cooperation task. This study offers neuroscientific evidence for in-group favoritism and out-group bias at an interpersonal level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingjie Liu
- School of Psychology and Mental Health, North China University of Science and Technology, 21 Bohai avenue, Caofeidian district, Tangshan, Hebei province 063210, China
- School of Public Health, North China University of Science and Technology, 21 Bohai avenue, Caofeidian district, Tangshan, Hebei province 063210, China
| | - Ye Zhang
- School of Psychology and Mental Health, North China University of Science and Technology, 21 Bohai avenue, Caofeidian district, Tangshan, Hebei province 063210, China
| | - Yifei Zhong
- School of Psychology and Mental Health, North China University of Science and Technology, 21 Bohai avenue, Caofeidian district, Tangshan, Hebei province 063210, China
| | - Jingyue Liu
- School of Psychology and Mental Health, North China University of Science and Technology, 21 Bohai avenue, Caofeidian district, Tangshan, Hebei province 063210, China
| | - Chenyu Zhang
- School of Psychology and Mental Health, North China University of Science and Technology, 21 Bohai avenue, Caofeidian district, Tangshan, Hebei province 063210, China
| | - Yujia Meng
- School of Psychology and Mental Health, North China University of Science and Technology, 21 Bohai avenue, Caofeidian district, Tangshan, Hebei province 063210, China
| | - Nan Pang
- School of Psychology and Mental Health, North China University of Science and Technology, 21 Bohai avenue, Caofeidian district, Tangshan, Hebei province 063210, China
| | - Xuemei Cheng
- Department of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Beijing Polytechnic, 100081
| | - He Wang
- School of Psychology and Mental Health, North China University of Science and Technology, 21 Bohai avenue, Caofeidian district, Tangshan, Hebei province 063210, China
- School of Public Health, North China University of Science and Technology, 21 Bohai avenue, Caofeidian district, Tangshan, Hebei province 063210, China
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5
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Hatzenbuehler ML, McLaughlin KA, Weissman DG, Cikara M. A research agenda for understanding how social inequality is linked to brain structure and function. Nat Hum Behav 2024; 8:20-31. [PMID: 38172629 PMCID: PMC11112523 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01774-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Consistent evidence documents powerful effects of social inequality on health, well-being and academic achievement. Yet research on whether social inequality may also be linked to brain structure and function has, until recently, been rare. Here we describe three methodological approaches that can be used to study this question-single site, single study; multi-site, single study; and spatial meta-analysis. We review empirical work that, using these approaches, has observed associations between neural outcomes and structural measures of social inequality-including structural stigma, community-level prejudice, gender inequality, neighbourhood disadvantage and the generosity of the social safety net for low-income families. We evaluate the relative strengths and limitations of these approaches, discuss ethical considerations and outline directions for future research. In doing so, we advocate for a paradigm shift in cognitive neuroscience that explicitly incorporates upstream structural and contextual factors, which we argue holds promise for uncovering the neural correlates of social inequality.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - David G Weissman
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mina Cikara
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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6
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Zacharopoulos G, Ohmann K, Ihssen N, Kedia G, Mussweiler T, Linden DEJ. The role of outgroup homogeneity and the neurodynamics of the frontal cortex during beauty comparisons. Soc Neurosci 2023; 18:382-392. [PMID: 37639727 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2023.2242098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
The distance effect states that the closer two compared magnitudes (e.g., two numbers, physical attractiveness in two faces), the more difficult the comparison, and the greater the activity of the frontoparietal control network. However, it is unclear whether this network is also recruited to the same extent when we perform ingroup and outgroup beauty comparisons and whether the activation of these networks is tracked by interindividual variation in the perceptions we hold about an outgroup. We recorded brain activity with fMRI, where participants compared the beauty of two women ostensibly either from their ingroup or from an outgroup. Low-distance conditions produced longer response times than the high-distance conditions, and this was found in both the ingroup and outgroup conditions. However, our neuroimaging analyses revealed that the left IFG/anterior insula showed the classic distance effect only during ingroup processing but not during outgroup processing. Notably, interaction-specific activity within the left IFG/anterior insula was related to perceptions of outgroup homogeneity assessed via a questionnaire. This set of findings reveals the dynamic role of the prefrontal cortex and its interplay with perceptions of outgroup homogeneity in shaping ingroup and outgroup decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Zacharopoulos
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), Cardiff, UK
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Katharina Ohmann
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), Cardiff, UK
- Social Cognition Center Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Niklas Ihssen
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), Cardiff, UK
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Gayannee Kedia
- Social Cognition Center Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Thomas Mussweiler
- Social Cognition Center Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Organisational Behaviour, London Business School, London, UK
| | - David E J Linden
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), Cardiff, UK
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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7
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Yokota S, Hashimoto T, Matsuzaki Y, Ikeda S, Kawashima R. Right amygdala and caudate activation patterns predict implicit attitudes toward people with autism spectrum disorders and physical disabilities, respectively. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2023; 23:1610-1619. [PMID: 37726589 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-023-01126-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
Attitudes toward people with disabilities tend to be negative, regardless of the visibility of the disorder traits. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience stigmatization that is rooted in negative attitudes or prejudice toward them because of their social awkwardness. The neural underpinnings of attitudes toward people with disabilities remain unclear. In this study, we focused on implicit attitudes toward people with ASD and physical disabilities, which are more visible than ASD, and investigated whether implicit attitudes were predicted by using neural activity with multivoxel pattern analysis (MVPA) in the prejudice network. Thirty-six, right-handed, Japanese, university students without disabilities participated. Two implicit association tests (IAT) toward people with ASD and physical disabilities revealed negative implicit attitudes. In the MRI scanner, participants performed a one-back task by using the same picture sets of IATs to examine their neural responses toward people with ASD and physical disabilities. According to the MVPA results, activation patterns of the right amygdala and right caudate significantly predicted implicit attitudes toward people with ASD and physical disabilities, respectively. These results suggest that implicit attitudes toward ASD and physical disabilities can be predicted by using neural signals from different regions within the prejudice network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susumu Yokota
- Faculty of Arts and Science, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishiku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan.
| | - Teruo Hashimoto
- Division of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, IDAC, Tohoku University, 4-1 Seiryocho, Aobaku, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan
| | - Yutaka Matsuzaki
- Division of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, IDAC, Tohoku University, 4-1 Seiryocho, Aobaku, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan
| | - Shigeyuki Ikeda
- RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project, 1-4-1 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 103-0027, Japan
| | - Ryuta Kawashima
- Division of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, IDAC, Tohoku University, 4-1 Seiryocho, Aobaku, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan
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8
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Krendl AC, Perry BL. Stigma Toward Substance Dependence: Causes, Consequences, and Potential Interventions. Psychol Sci Public Interest 2023; 24:90-126. [PMID: 37883667 DOI: 10.1177/15291006231198193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Substance dependence is a prevalent and urgent public health problem. In 2021, 60 million Americans reported abusing alcohol within the month prior to being surveyed, and nearly 20 million Americans reported using illegal drugs (e.g., heroin) or prescription drugs (e.g., opioids) for nonmedical reasons in the year before. Drug-involved overdose rates have been steadily increasing over the past 20 years. This increase has been primarily driven by opioid and stimulant use. Despite its prevalence, drug dependence is one of the most stigmatized health conditions. Stigma has myriad negative consequences for its targets, including limiting their access to employment and housing, disrupting interpersonal relationships, harming physical and mental health, and reducing help-seeking. However, because research on stigma toward people with substance use disorders (SUDs) is relatively sparse compared with research on stigma toward other mental illnesses, the field lacks a comprehensive understanding of the causes and consequences of SUD stigma. Moreover, it remains unclear how, if at all, these factors differ from other types of mental illness stigma. The goal of this review is to take stock of the literature on SUD stigma, providing a clear set of foundational principles and a blueprint for future research and translational activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne C Krendl
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University Bloomington
| | - Brea L Perry
- Department of Sociology, Indiana University Bloomington
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9
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Pyasik M, Proverbio AM, Pia L. Behavioral and neurophysiological indices of the racial bias modulation after virtual embodiment in other-race body. iScience 2023; 26:108085. [PMID: 37860769 PMCID: PMC10582573 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Racial bias-nonconscious behavioral inclinations against people of other ethnic groups-heavily contributes to inequality and discrimination. Immersive virtual reality (IVR) can reduce implicit racial bias through the feeling of owning (embodying) a virtual body of a different "race"; however, it has been demonstrated only behaviorally for the implicit attitudes. Here, we investigated the implicit (racial IAT) and the neurophysiological (the N400 component of the event-related potentials for verbal stimuli that violated negative racial stereotypes) correlates of the embodiment-induced reduction of the implicit racial bias. After embodying a Black avatar, Caucasian participants had reduced implicit racial bias (IAT) but both groups showed the typical N400. This is the first evidence to suggest that virtual embodiment affects the evaluative component of the implicit biases but not the neurophysiological index of their cognitive component (i.e., stereotyping). This can inform interventions that promote inclusivity through the implicit/indirect procedures, such as embodiment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Pyasik
- SAMBA (SpAtial, Motor and Bodily Awareness) Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy
| | - Alice Mado Proverbio
- Cognitive Electrophysiology Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Pia
- SAMBA (SpAtial, Motor and Bodily Awareness) Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy
- NIT (Neuroscience Institute of Turin), 10124 Turin, Italy
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10
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Zhou Y, Li W, Gao T, Pan X, Han S. Neural representation of perceived race mediates the opposite relationship between subcomponents of self-construals and racial outgroup punishment. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:8759-8772. [PMID: 37143178 PMCID: PMC10786092 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Outgroup aggression characterizes intergroup conflicts in human societies. Previous research on relationships between cultural traits and outgroup aggression behavior showed inconsistent results, leaving open questions regarding whether cultural traits predict individual differences in outgroup aggression and related neural underpinnings. We conducted 2 studies to address this issue by collecting self-construal scores, EEG signals in response to Asian and White faces with painful or neutral expressions, and decisions to apply electric shocks to other-race individuals in a context of interracial conflict. We found that interdependent self-construals were well explained by 2 subcomponents, including esteem for group (EG) and relational interdependence (RI), which are related to focus on group collectives and harmonious relationships, respectively. Moreover, EG was positively associated with the decisions to punish racial outgroup targets, whereas RI was negatively related to the decisions. These opposite relationships were mediated by neural representations of perceived race at 120-160 ms after face onset. Our findings highlight the multifaceted nature of interdependent self-construal and the key role of neural representations of race in mediating the relationships of different subcomponents of cultural traits with racial outgroup punishment decisions in a context of interracial conflict.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqing Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Beijing 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wenxin Li
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, 52 Haidian Road, Beijing 100080, China
| | - Tianyu Gao
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai 519087, China
| | - Xinyue Pan
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, 52 Haidian Road, Beijing 100080, China
| | - Shihui Han
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, 52 Haidian Road, Beijing 100080, China
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11
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Ma Y, Tan H. Representation of intergroup conflict in the human brain. Neuron 2023; 111:1692-1696. [PMID: 37244251 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
This NeuroView explores intergroup conflict by synthesizing intergroup differences with three group-related neurocognitive processes. We suggest that intergroup differences at the aggregated-group level and interpersonal level are neurally dissociated and independently influence group dynamics as well as ingroup-outgroup conflicts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yina Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China; IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, 102206, China.
| | - Huixin Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China; IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
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12
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Rubien-Thomas E, Berrian N, M Rapuano K, J Skalaban L, Cervera A, Nardos B, Cohen AO, Lowrey A, M Daumeyer N, Watts R, Camp NP, Hughes BL, Eberhardt JL, Taylor-Thompson KA, Fair DA, Richeson JA, Casey BJ. Uncertain threat is associated with greater impulsive actions and neural dissimilarity to Black versus White faces. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2023; 23:944-956. [PMID: 36732466 PMCID: PMC10390611 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-022-01056-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Race is a social construct that contributes to group membership and heightens emotional arousal in intergroup contexts. Little is known about how emotional arousal, specifically uncertain threat, influences behavior and brain processes in response to race information. We investigated the effects of experimentally manipulated uncertain threat on impulsive actions to Black versus White faces in a community sample (n = 106) of Black and White adults. While undergoing fMRI, participants performed an emotional go/no-go task under three conditions of uncertainty: 1) anticipation of an uncertain threat (i.e., unpredictable loud aversive sound); 2) anticipation of an uncertain reward (i.e., unpredictable receipt of money); and 3) no anticipation of an uncertain event. Representational similarity analysis was used to examine the neural representations of race information across functional brain networks between conditions of uncertainty. Participants-regardless of their own race-showed greater impulsivity and neural dissimilarity in response to Black versus White faces across all functional brain networks in conditions of uncertain threat relative to other conditions. This pattern of greater neural dissimilarity under threat was enhanced in individuals with high implicit racial bias. Our results illustrate the distinct and important influence of uncertain threat on global differentiation in how race information is represented in the brain, which may contribute to racially biased behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nia Berrian
- Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Lena J Skalaban
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Alessandra Cervera
- Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Binyam Nardos
- Departments of Occupational Therapy and Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | | | - Ariel Lowrey
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Richard Watts
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Nicholas P Camp
- Department of Organizational Studies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Brent L Hughes
- Department of Psychology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Damien A Fair
- Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | | | - B J Casey
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Barnard College, New York, NY, USA.
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13
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Deist M, Fourie MM. (Not) part of the team: Racial empathy bias in a South African minimal group study. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0283902. [PMID: 37023090 PMCID: PMC10079011 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0283902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Minimal Group Paradigm (MGP) research suggests that recategorization with an arbitrarily defined group may be sufficient to override empathy biases among salient social categories like race. However, most studies utilizing MGPs do not consider sufficiently the socio-historical contexts of social groups. Here we investigated whether the recategorization of White participants into arbitrarily defined mixed-race teams using a non-competitive MGP would ameliorate racial empathy biases towards ingroup team members in the South African context. Sixty participants rated their empathic and counter-empathic (Schadenfreude, Glückschmerz) responses to ingroup and outgroup team members in physically painful, emotionally distressing, and positive situations. As anticipated, results indicated significant ingroup team biases in empathic and counter-empathic responses. However, mixed-race minimal teams were unable to override ingroup racial empathy biases, which persisted across events. Interestingly, a manipulation highlighting purported political ideological differences between White and Black African team members did not exacerbate racial empathy bias, suggesting that such perceptions were already salient. Across conditions, an internal motivation to respond without prejudice was most strongly associated with empathy for Black African target individuals, regardless of their team status. Together, these results suggest that racial identity continues to provide a salient motivational guide in addition to more arbitrary group memberships, even at an explicit level, for empathic responding in contexts characterized by historical power asymmetry. These data further problematize the continued official use of race-based categories in such contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Deist
- Centre for the Study of the Afterlife of Violence and the Reparative Quest, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Melike M Fourie
- Centre for the Study of the Afterlife of Violence and the Reparative Quest, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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14
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Feldman R. The neurobiology of hatred: Tools of Dialogue© intervention for youth reared amidst intractable conflict impacts brain, behaviour, and peacebuilding attitudes. Acta Paediatr 2023; 112:603-616. [PMID: 36655828 DOI: 10.1111/apa.16676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Myths, drama, and sacred texts have warned against the fragile nature of human love; the closer the affiliative bond, the quicker it can turn into hatred, suggesting similarities in the neurobiological underpinnings of love and hatred. Here, I offer a theoretical account on the neurobiology of hatred based on our model on the biology of human attachments and its three foundations; the oxytocin system, the "affiliative brain", comprising the neural network sustaining attachment, and biobehavioural synchrony, the process by which humans create a coupled biology through coordinated action. These systems mature in mammals in the context of the mother-infant bond and then transfer to support life within social groups. During this transition, they partition to support affiliation and solidarity to one's group and fear and hatred towards out-group based on minor variations in social behaviour. I present the Tools of Dialogue© intervention for outgroup members based on social synchrony. Applied to Israeli and Palestinian youth and implementing RCT, we measured social behaviour, attitudes, hormones, and social brain response before and after the 8-session intervention. Youth receiving the intervention increased reciprocity and reduced hostile behaviour towards outgroup, attenuated the neural marker of prejudice and increased neural empathic response, reduced cortisol and elevated oxytocin, and adapted attitudes of compromise. These neural changes predicted peacebuilding support 7 years later, when young adults can engage in civil responsibilities. Our intervention, the first to show long-term effects of inter-group intervention on brain and behaviour, demonstrates how social synchrony can tilt the neurobiology of hatred towards the pole of affiliation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Feldman
- Center of Developmental Social Neuroscience, Reichman University, Herzlia, Israel
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15
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Granjon M, Doignon-Camus N, Popa-Roch M, Rohmer O. Neural empathic response to disability: An ERP study of prejudice. Biol Psychol 2023; 177:108507. [PMID: 36706863 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
While social neuroscience has already provided evidence for a deficit of affective empathy in racial prejudice, little is known about other less visible social categories when considered as an outgroup. We studied the process of empathy through event-related brain potentials (ERPs). We focused on the group "people with disabilities" as they are the target of a large amount of prejudice. Twenty-six participants performed a pain decision task. The mean amplitudes of N1, P2, N2-N3 and P3 components were recorded. Our results are consistent with previous work on prejudice, showing that the pain detection is modulated by group membership (with disabilities vs. without disabilities) on N2-N3, suggesting a better neural decoding of pain vs. non-pain in the without-disability condition. Critically, no effect of early sensory components (N1, P2) was found, and P3 was not moderated by disability. These findings indicate a different time course of empathic responses depending on the condition, suggesting that people with disabilities trigger specific empathic responses. Our results contribute to disentangling perceptual processes from affective empathy reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Granjon
- University of Strasbourg, Laboratoire de Psychologie des Cognitions, France.
| | - Nadège Doignon-Camus
- University of Strasbourg, Laboratoire Interuniversitaire des Sciences de l'Education et de la Communication, France
| | - Maria Popa-Roch
- University of Strasbourg, Laboratoire Interuniversitaire des Sciences de l'Education et de la Communication, France
| | - Odile Rohmer
- University of Strasbourg, Laboratoire de Psychologie des Cognitions, France
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16
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Tuen YJ, Bulley A, Palombo DJ, O'Connor BB. Social value at a distance: Higher identification with all of humanity is associated with reduced social discounting. Cognition 2023; 230:105283. [PMID: 36209687 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2022.105283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
How much we value the welfare of others has critical implications for the collective good. Yet, it is unclear what leads people to make more or less equal decisions about the welfare of those from whom they are socially distant. The current research sought to explore the psychological mechanisms that might underlie welfare judgements across social distance. Here, a social discounting paradigm was used to measure the tendency for the value of a reward to be discounted as the social distance of its recipient increased. Across two cohorts (one discovery, one replication), we found that a more expansive identity with all of humanity was associated with reduced social discounting. Additionally, we investigated the specificity of this association by examining whether this relationship extended to delay discounting, the tendency for the value of a reward to be discounted as the temporal distance to its receipt increases. Our findings suggest that the observed association with identity was unique to social discounting, thus underscoring a distinction in value-based decision-making processes across distances in time and across social networks. As data were collected during the COVID-19 pandemic, we also considered how stress associated with this global threat might influence welfare judgements across social distances. We found that, even after controlling for COVID-19 related stress, correlations between identity and social discounting held. Together, these findings elucidate the psychological processes that are associated with a more equal distribution of generosity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young Ji Tuen
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Adam Bulley
- The University of Sydney, School of Psychology and Brain and Mind Centre, 94 Mallett Street Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia; Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 33 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States of America
| | - Daniela J Palombo
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
| | - Brendan Bo O'Connor
- Department of Psychology, University of Albany (SUNY), Social Science 399, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, United States of America.
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17
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Rösler IK, Amodio DM. Neural Basis of Prejudice and Prejudice Reduction. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2022; 7:1200-1208. [PMID: 36402739 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2022.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Social prejudices, based on race, ethnicity, gender, or other identities, pervade how we perceive, think about, and act toward others. Research on the neural basis of prejudice seeks to illuminate its effects by investigating the neurocognitive processes through which prejudice is formed, represented in the mind, expressed in behavior, and potentially reduced. In this article, we review current knowledge about the social neuroscience of prejudice regarding its influence on rapid social perception, representation in memory, emotional expression and relation to empathy, and regulation, and we discuss implications of this work for prejudice reduction interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inga K Rösler
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - David M Amodio
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Psychology and Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York.
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18
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Levy J, Influs M, Masalha S, Goldstein A, Feldman R. Dialogue intervention for youth amidst intractable conflict attenuates neural prejudice response and promotes adults' peacemaking. PNAS NEXUS 2022; 1:pgac236. [PMID: 36712372 PMCID: PMC9802066 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Humans' dependence on group living has led to the formation of tenacious, often nonconscious negative perceptions of other social groups, a phenomenon termed "intergroup bias" that sustains one of the world's most imminent problem: intergroup conflicts. Adolescents' participation in intergroup conflicts has been continuously on the rise, rendering the need to devise interventions that can mitigate some of their deleterious effects on youth an urgent societal priority. Framed within the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and targeting youth, we implemented a dialogue-enhancing intervention for adolescents (16 to 18 years) reared amidst intractable conflict that builds on social synchrony and the neurobiology of affiliation. Implementing a randomized controlled trial design, before and after the 8-week intervention adolescents underwent magnetoencephalography to assess a neural marker of implicit prejudice and interviewed on their attitudes toward the conflict. Adolescents who received the intervention showed attenuation of the neural prejudice response, as indexed by sustained occipital alpha that was significantly reduced at post-intervention and adopted attitudes of peacemaking. Change in the neural prejudice response predicted attitudes of compromise and support in peacebuilding 7 years later, when young adults can already engage in active civil duties and responsibilities. These results underscore adolescence as a window of opportunity for enhancing inter-group dialogue and demonstrate the long-term associations between the neural evaluation of prejudice and self-reported measures of proclivity for compromise and peace in the context of an intractable century-long conflict.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Levy
- Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, 8 Ha'universita Street, Herzliya 4610101, Israel
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, 02150 Espoo, Finland
| | - Moran Influs
- Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, 8 Ha'universita Street, Herzliya 4610101, Israel
| | | | - Abraham Goldstein
- Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center and Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Ruth Feldman
- Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, 8 Ha'universita Street, Herzliya 4610101, Israel
- Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
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19
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Abstract
This study addresses two questions. First, why do Black Americans exhibit worse health outcomes than White Americans even at higher levels of socioeconomic status (SES)? Second, are diminished health returns to higher status concentrated among Black Americans with darker skin color? Novel hypotheses are tested with biosocial panel data from Add Health, a nationally representative cohort of Black and White adolescents who have transitioned to adulthood. We find that White and light-skin Black respondents report improved health after achieving higher SES, on average, while their darker-skin Black peers report declining health. These patterns persist regardless of controls for adolescent health status and unmeasured between-person heterogeneity. Moreover, increased inflammation tied to unfair treatment and perceptions of lower status helps to account for patterns of diminished health returns for dark-skin Black groups. Our study is the first to document skin tone heterogeneity in diminished health returns and one of few studies to identify life course stress processes underlying such disparities. We consider additional processes that could be examined in future studies, as well as the broader health and policy implications of our findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reed T. DeAngelis
- Department of Sociology and Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Taylor W. Hargrove
- Department of Sociology and Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Robert A. Hummer
- Department of Sociology and Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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20
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Ward A, Mann T. Control Yourself: Broad Implications of Narrowed Attention. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2022; 17:1692-1703. [PMID: 35830521 DOI: 10.1177/17456916221077093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Attention represents a key element of self-control, and multiple theoretical accounts have highlighted the role played by abundant attentional capacity in effecting successful self-regulation. What, then, are the consequences of living in today's world, in which attention can become so easily divided by a multitude of stimuli? In this article, we consider the implications of divided attention for self-control and show that although the end result is typically disinhibited behavior, under specified conditions, attentional limitation, or what we term attentional myopia, can be associated with enhanced restraint.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Ward
- Department of Psychology, Swarthmore College
| | - Traci Mann
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota
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21
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Jiménez-Moya G, Carvacho H, Álvarez B, Contreras C, González R. Is Support for Feminism Enough for Change? How Sexism and Gender Stereotypes Might Hinder Gender Justice. Front Psychol 2022; 13:912941. [PMID: 35903724 PMCID: PMC9315204 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.912941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Even though formal processes (i.e., gender quotes) are necessary to achieve gender justice, attitudinal changes (i.e., support of egalitarian social norms) are also essential. The endorsement of sexism and gender stereotypes perpetuate inequality on a daily basis, and can be seen as barriers that prevent societies from reaching social justice. Therefore, changing sexist social norms can be understood as a fundamental step in accomplishing gender justice. With the aim of studying Chileans’ sexist norms, we conducted a survey with a representative sample (N = 490) exploring levels of sexism and gender stereotypes, as well as support for the feminist movement. Using Latent Profile Analysis, we identified four groups of citizens: (1) a first group that shows high levels of sexism and low support for the feminist movement (9%); (2) a second group, with low levels of sexism and high support for the feminist movement (20%); (3) a third group with high levels of sexism and high support for the feminist movement (65%); and (4) a fourth group with mid-levels of sexism and support of the feminist movement (6%). We called these groups the Sexist, Feminist, Inconsistent, and Moderate Group, respectively. The four groups showed similar high endorsement of gender stereotypes. These results are twofold. First, they hint that although nowadays gender equality seems to be generally accepted, this coexists with a high prevalence of sexist social norms, represented by the inconsistent group being the most prevalent. Second, gender stereotypes are still deeply rooted in Chilean culture, surprisingly even among feminist citizens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gloria Jiménez-Moya
- Escuela de Psicología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- *Correspondence: Gloria Jiménez-Moya,
| | - Héctor Carvacho
- Escuela de Psicología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Belén Álvarez
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Camila Contreras
- Escuela de Psicología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Roberto González
- Escuela de Psicología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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22
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Abstract
SignificancePeople's decisions about how to treat others are known to be influenced by societally shared expectations about the typical traits of people from particular social groups (stereotypes). We combined a social psychological framework, an economic game, and multivariate functional MRI analysis to investigate whether and how trait inferences are instantiated neurally in the service of behavior toward members of different social groups. Multidimensional representations of trait content were found in brain regions associated with social cognition and in a region associated with inference-based decision-making: the lateral orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Only OFC representations predicted individual participants' behavior, suggesting that although stereotypes are also represented in social cognition regions, they exert influence on behavior via decision-making mechanisms centered in the OFC.
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23
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Indonesian Islamic Students’ Fear of Demographic Changes: The Nexus of Arabic Education, Religiosity, and Political Preferences. RELIGIONS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/rel13040320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Demographic changes have sparked several debates on the interconnected identities of citizens, with some transitions observed in previous studies to be smooth as indicated by the continuous emergence of conflicts. The fear of within-boundary demographic changes also drives potential tensions among native people. Therefore, this study posited that the basic knowledge of the Arabic language has the ability to contribute to the formation of religiosity, political preference, and fear of demographic changes. This was determined quantitatively by distributing questionnaires to 496 students of Islamic state universities, and the findings confirmed nearly all the direct relationships aside from religiosity and political preference. This also shows the complex formation of fear due to demographic changes. The possession of the Arabic language is observed to be causing an increase in discomfort while being religious decreases it. Additionally, further discussions and implications are presented.
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24
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Almeida OFX, Sousa N. Leveraging Neuroscience to Fight Stigma Around Mental Health. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 15:812184. [PMID: 35295248 PMCID: PMC8919064 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.812184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Labels serve as identifiers and convenient descriptors of inanimate and animate objects. In humans, given labels can easily become part of an individual’s self-perceived identity. Negative labels ascribed to a person can result in internalized stigma, a state that will shape the subject’s biography. This can ultimately impact the person’s mental and physical health since perceived and/or anticipated stigma discourages the use of social and health services. Per definition, stigma involves labeling of persons with physical, mental, or social characteristics that do not match the observer’s arbitrarily conditioned and calibrated sense of norms (public stigma); such labeling may eventually become embedded in rules, regulations, and laws (structural stigma). Internalized stigma projects onto a person’s emotions and actions. Public (enacted) stigma results from stereotyping (collectively agreed-upon notions about a group of persons that are used to categorize these people) and devaluation, which subsequently leads to social distancing, discrimination, and blatant abuse of human rights. Much of what we know about stigma results from research in the psychosocial sciences and, more recently, from social neuroscience. The stigma around mental health has generated much attention in the field of psychiatry where, to date, most research has focussed on epidemiology and anti-stigma interventions. This essay intends to stimulate thought, debate, and research within the behavioral neuroscience community and, therefore, to inform evidence-based design and implementation of neuroscience-based approaches by other professionals working towards the elimination of the stigma attached to mental illness. The article starts by considering the concept of stigma and the psychological processes that give rise to the phenomenon; it also considers how projected and perceived stigma are multiplied. Finally, after a brief review of the few existing neuroscientific explorations of stigma, gaps in our knowledge of the neurobiological basis of stigma are identified and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osborne F. X. Almeida
- School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- *Correspondence: Osborne F. X. Almeida
| | - Nuno Sousa
- School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
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25
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Mello M, Dupont L, Engelen T, Acciarino A, de Borst AW, de Gelder B. The influence of body expression, group affiliation and threat proximity on interactions in virtual reality. CURRENT RESEARCH IN BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.crbeha.2022.100075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
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26
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Establishing a role of the semantic control network in social cognitive processing: A meta-analysis of functional neuroimaging studies. Neuroimage 2021; 245:118702. [PMID: 34742940 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The contribution and neural basis of cognitive control is under-specified in many prominent models of socio-cognitive processing. Important outstanding questions include whether there are multiple, distinguishable systems underpinning control and whether control is ubiquitously or selectively engaged across different social behaviours and task demands. Recently, it has been proposed that the regulation of social behaviours could rely on brain regions specialised in the controlled retrieval of semantic information, namely the anterior inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and posterior middle temporal gyrus. Accordingly, we investigated for the first time whether the neural activation commonly found in social functional neuroimaging studies extends to these 'semantic control' regions. We conducted five coordinate-based meta-analyses to combine results of 499 fMRI/PET experiments and identified the brain regions consistently involved in semantic control, as well as four social abilities: theory of mind, trait inference, empathy and moral reasoning. This allowed an unprecedented parallel review of the neural networks associated with each of these cognitive domains. The results confirmed that the anterior left IFG region involved in semantic control is reliably engaged in all four social domains. This supports the hypothesis that social cognition is partly regulated by the neurocognitive system underpinning semantic control.
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27
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Zhu H, Wang A, Collins HR, Yue Y, Xu S, Zhu X. The encoding of race during face processing, an event-related potential study. Perception 2021; 50:842-860. [PMID: 34623190 DOI: 10.1177/03010066211048573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
It is well known that adults spontaneously classify people into social categories and this categorization in turn guides their cognition and behavior. A wealth of research has examined how people perceive race and investigated the effect of race on social behavior. But what about race encoding? Although considerable behavioral research has investigated the encoding of race, that is, the social categorization by race, the neural underpinning of it is largely underexplored. To investigate the time course of race encoding, the current study employed a modified category verification task and a multivariate analyzing approach. We found that racial information became decodable from event-related potential topographies as early as about 200 ms after stimulus onset. At this stage, the brain can differentiate different races in a task-relevant manner. Nonetheless, it is not until 100 ms later that racial information is encoded in a socially relevant manner (own- versus other-race). Importantly, perceptual differentiation not only occurs before the encoding of the race but actually influences it: the faces that are more easily perceptually categorized are actually encoded more readily. Together, we posit that the detection and the encoding of race are decoupled although they are not completely independent. Our results provide powerful constraints toward the theory-building of race.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haidong Zhu
- Department of Psychology, 70586Shihezi University, Xinjiang, China
| | - Anqi Wang
- Department of Psychology, 70586Shihezi University, Xinjiang, China
| | - Heather R Collins
- Department of Radiology, 158155Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Yaqi Yue
- Department of Psychology, 70586Shihezi University, Xinjiang, China
| | - Shuhui Xu
- Department of Psychology, 26495Wenzhou University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xun Zhu
- Department of Psychology, 70586Shihezi University, Xinjiang, China; Department of Psychology, 26495Wenzhou University, Zhejiang, China
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28
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Agerström J, Carlsson M, Bremer A, Herlitz J, Rawshani A, Årestedt K, Israelsson J. Treatment and survival following in-hospital cardiac arrest: does patient ethnicity matter? Eur J Cardiovasc Nurs 2021; 21:341-347. [PMID: 34524428 DOI: 10.1093/eurjcn/zvab079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Previous research on racial/ethnic disparities in relation to cardiac arrest has mainly focused on black vs. white disparities in the USA. The great majority of these studies concerns out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). The current nationwide registry study aims to explore whether there are ethnic differences in treatment and survival following in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA), examining possible disparities towards Middle Eastern and African minorities in a European context. METHODS AND RESULTS In this retrospective registry study, 24 217 patients from the IHCA part of the Swedish Registry of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation were included. Data on patient ethnicity were obtained from Statistics Sweden. Regression analysis was performed to assess the impact of ethnicity on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) delay, CPR duration, survival immediately after CPR, and the medical team's reported satisfaction with the treatment. Middle Eastern and African patients were not treated significantly different compared to Nordic patients when controlling for hospital, year, age, sex, socioeconomic status, comorbidity, aetiology, and initial heart rhythm. Interestingly, we find that Middle Eastern patients were more likely to survive than Nordic patients (odds ratio = 1.52). CONCLUSION Overall, hospital staff do not appear to treat IHCA patients differently based on their ethnicity. Nevertheless, Middle Eastern patients are more likely to survive IHCA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens Agerström
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Linnaeus University, Pedalstråket 13, Kalmar SE-39132, Sweden
| | - Magnus Carlsson
- Department of Economics and Statistics, School of Business and Economics, Linnaeus University, Pedalstråket 13, Kalmar SE-39132, Sweden
| | - Anders Bremer
- Department of Health and Caring Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Linnaeus University, Pedalstråket 13, Kalmar SE-39132, Sweden
| | - Johan Herlitz
- Department of Cardiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Blå Stråket 5, Gothenburg SE-41345, Sweden.,PreHospen-Centre for Prehospital Research, University of Borås, Allegatan 1, Borås SE-50332, Sweden
| | - Araz Rawshani
- Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 3, Gothenburg SE-40530, Sweden
| | - Kristofer Årestedt
- Department of Health and Caring Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Linnaeus University, Pedalstråket 13, Kalmar SE-39132, Sweden.,The Research Section, Region Kalmar County, Lasarettsvägen 8, Kalmar SE-39244, Sweden
| | - Johan Israelsson
- Department of Health and Caring Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Linnaeus University, Pedalstråket 13, Kalmar SE-39132, Sweden.,Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kalmar County Hospital, Lasarettsvägen, Kalmar SE-39185, Sweden
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29
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Levy J, Goldstein A, Influs M, Masalha S, Feldman R. Neural Rhythmic Underpinnings of Intergroup Bias: Implications for Peace-Building Attitudes and Dialogue. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 17:408-420. [PMID: 34519338 PMCID: PMC8972238 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Intergroup bias is a ubiquitous socio-cognitive phenomenon that, while sustaining human dependence on group living, often leads to prejudice, inequity, and violence; yet, its neural underpinnings remain unclear. Framed within the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and targeting youth, this study utilized magnetoencephalography to describe intrinsic neural oscillatory processes that represent the intergroup bias and may link with engagement in peacemaking in order to shed further light on the neural mechanisms underpinning intergroup conflict. Across the oscillatory spectrum, from very low to very high frequency bands, the only rhythm found to underlie the intergroup bias was the alpha rhythm. Alpha was continuously activated across the task and integrated a rapid perceptual component in occipital cortex with a top-down cognitive-control component in medial cingulate cortex. These components were distinctly associated with real-life intergroup dialog style and expressed attitudes that promote active engagement in peacemaking. Our findings suggest that the cortical alpha rhythm plays a crucial role in sustaining intergroup bias and address its impact on concrete intergroup experiences. Results highlight the need to provide opportunities for active peace-building dialog to youth reared amidst intractable conflicts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Levy
- Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya 46150, Israel.,Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo 02150, Finland
| | - Abraham Goldstein
- Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center and Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Moran Influs
- Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya 46150, Israel
| | | | - Ruth Feldman
- Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya 46150, Israel.,Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
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30
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Zhu M, Qian H, Zhang P, Gao X. Perceiving faces through reconnection-colored glasses after social exclusion: Evidence from N100. Scand J Psychol 2021; 63:64-71. [PMID: 34514611 DOI: 10.1111/sjop.12775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Social exclusion motivates individuals to selectively reconnect with others, in which face categorization plays an important role. However, it remains unknown how reconnection possibility interacts with perception at the very early stage of face categorization. To address this issue, after social exclusion or social inclusion priming, participants were instructed to select one person from two gender-matched strangers as a future "coworker" (with high reconnection possibility; the left one is a future "stranger," with low reconnection possibility) for another ostensible task, and then complete an orientation judgment task of self-face, coworker face and stranger face, with event-related brain potential (ERP) recordings. Results showed that excluded participants produced larger N100 to future coworker face than to stranger face, but no such difference was found among included participants. Compared with included participants, excluded participants produced significantly larger N100 to future coworker face. Moreover, N100 elicited by future coworker face was significantly negatively correlated with rating scores of exclusion only for social excluded participants. These findings indicate that social reconnection desire may contribute to the biased face perception which facilitates face categorization of socially excluded people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Zhu
- Department of Social Work and Management, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, China
| | - Haoyue Qian
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Pengcheng Zhang
- Department of Psychology, School of Education, Zhejiang International Studies University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiangping Gao
- Academic Affairs Office, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China
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31
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The Biology and Psychology of Surgical Learning. Surg Clin North Am 2021; 101:541-554. [PMID: 34242598 DOI: 10.1016/j.suc.2021.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Surgical education requires proficiency with multiple types of learning to create capable surgeons. This article reviews a conceptual framework of learning that starts with the biological basis of learning and how neural networks encode memory. We then focus on how information can be absorbed, organized, and recalled, discussing concepts such as cognitive load, knowledge retrieval, and adult learning. Influences on memory and learning such as stress, sleep, and unconscious bias are explored. This overview of the biological and psychological aspects to learning provides a foundation for the articles to follow.
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32
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Fariña A, Rojek-Giffin M, Gross J, De Dreu CKW. Social Preferences Correlate with Cortical Thickness of the Orbito-Frontal Cortex. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 16:1191-1203. [PMID: 34117486 PMCID: PMC8599202 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans differ in their preferences for personal rewards, fairness and others’ welfare. Such social preferences predict trust, public goods provision and mutual gains bargaining and have been linked to neural activity in regions involved in reward computation, cognitive control and perspective-taking. Although shaped by culture, social preferences are relatively stable across time, raising the question whether differences in brain anatomy predict social preferences and their key components—concern for personal outcomes and concern for others’ outcomes. Here, we examine this possibility by linking social preferences measured with incentivized economic games to 74 cortical parcels in 194 healthy humans. Neither concerns for personal outcomes nor concerns for the outcomes of others in isolation were related to anatomical differences. However, fitting earlier findings, social preferences positively scaled with cortical thickness in the left olfactory sulcus, a structure in the orbital frontal cortex previously shown to be involved in value-based decision-making. Consistent with work showing that heavier usage corresponds to larger brain volume, findings suggest that pro-social preferences relate to cortical thickness in the left olfactory sulcus because of heavier reliance on the orbital frontal cortex during social decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Fariña
- Institute for Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Michael Rojek-Giffin
- Institute for Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jörg Gross
- Institute for Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Carsten K W De Dreu
- Institute for Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Center for Research in Experimental Economics and Political Decision Making, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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33
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Yang Y, White KRG, Fan X, Xu Q, Chen QW. Differences in Explicit Stereotype Activation among Social Groups Based on the Stereotype Content Model: Behavioral and Electrophysiological Evidence in Chinese Sample. Brain Sci 2020; 10:E1001. [PMID: 33348655 PMCID: PMC7767265 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10121001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The stereotype content model (SCM; Fiske, Cuddy, Glick and Xu, 2002) identifies four basic categories of stereotyped social groups: high warmth-high competence (HW-HC), high warmth-low competence (HW-LC), low warmth-high competence (LW-HC), and low warmth-low competence (LW-LC). However, many of these groups have not been directly examined in stereotype activation research. The purpose of the present research was to extend stereotype activation research to groups that more fully represent those identified under the SCM. Employing explicit sequential priming task, participants responded to prime-target stimulus pairs that were either congruent or incongruent with stereotypes of social groups from all four SCM quadrants in two studies in the current investigation. Study 1 was to determine the behavioral pattern of explicit stereotype activation among four quadrants (the sample included 60 Chinese undergraduate students, 51%-female). Study 2 further employed event-related brain potentials (ERPs) technique to track the time course and electrophysiological underpinnings of explicit stereotype activation (the sample included 22 right-handed Chinese undergraduate students, 76%-female). In Study 1, participants responded more quickly and accurately on stereotype congruent trials than incongruent trials for all social groups except LW-LC groups. This reverse priming effect on LW-LC social groups in RTs was also replicated in Study 2. ERPs findings further showed that incongruent targets elicited larger N400 amplitudes than congruent targets for all four SCM quadrants. Moreover, congruent targets elicited larger P2 than incongruent targets, but only found for the LW-LC social groups. In addition, congruent targets elicited larger amplitudes of late positive component than incongruent targets for the low warmth (LW-LC and LW-HC) groups. Together, these results highlight the unique processing that LW-LC groups receive throughout the cognitive stream, ultimately manifesting in distinctive behavioral responses. Unconscious activation of egalitarian goals, disgust, and distrust accounts are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaping Yang
- Department of Psychology, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China; (Y.Y.); (X.F.); (Q.X.)
| | - Katherine R. G. White
- Department of Psychological Science, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA 30144, USA;
| | - Xinfang Fan
- Department of Psychology, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China; (Y.Y.); (X.F.); (Q.X.)
| | - Qiang Xu
- Department of Psychology, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China; (Y.Y.); (X.F.); (Q.X.)
| | - Qing-Wei Chen
- Lab of Light and Physiopsychological Health, National Center for International Research on Green Optoelectronics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Information Materials and Technology & Institute of Electronic Paper Displays, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
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34
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Levy J, Bader O. Graded Empathy: A Neuro-Phenomenological Hypothesis. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:554848. [PMID: 33329092 PMCID: PMC7732462 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.554848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The neuroscience of empathy has enormously expanded in the past two decades, thereby making instrumental progress for the understanding of neural substrates involved in affective and cognitive aspects of empathy. Yet, these conclusions have relied on ultrasimplified tasks resulting in the affective/cognitive dichotomy that was often modeled and overemphasized in pathological, developmental, and genetic studies of empathy. As such, the affective/cognitive model of empathy could not straightforwardly accommodate and explain the recent surge of neuroscientific data obtained from studies employing naturalistic approaches and intergroup conditions. Inspired by phenomenological philosophy, this article paves the way for a new scientific perspective on empathy that breaks thorough the affective/cognitive dichotomy. This neuro-phenomenological account leans on phenomenological analyses and can straightforwardly explain recent neuroscience data. It emphasizes the dynamic, subjective, and piecemeal features of empathic experiences and unpicks the graded nature of empathy. The graded empathy hypothesis postulates that attending to others' expressions always facilitates empathy, but the parametric modulation in the levels of the empathic experience varies as a function of one's social interest (e.g., via intergroup or inter-personal cues) in the observed other. Drawing on multiple resources that integrate neuroscience with phenomenology, we describe the potential of this graded framework in an era of real-life experimentation. By wearing lenses of neuro-phenomenology, this original perspective can change the way empathy is considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Levy
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland.,Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, Herzliya, Israel
| | - Oren Bader
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center of Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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