Talks
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Discipline Track
Clinical Science
Abstract Type
Research/Clinical
Abstract
Background: Most research examining the effects of implicit race-based biases in emotion perception has focused on the perception of Black faces as being angry. Limited work has been done examining the perception of “approach” emotions such as fear. Furthermore, most studies have predominantly used White subjects. Our study examined the role of implicit racial biases in shaping the perception of both anger and fear in White, Black and Asian participants.
Methods: 78 participants completed a Go/NoGo task in which they were asked to categorize different race faces as portraying either anger or fear. Participants would be asked to press the spacebar on a keyboard (i.e. a “Go” response) if they perceived the face was displaying the emotion in question (either anger or fear). Conversely, they were asked to withhold from pressing the spacebar (i.e. a “NoGo” response), if they perceived the face as not displaying the emotion in question.
Results: The results of this study suggest that: a) implicitly, Black faces are less readily associated with fear compared to White faces and b) implicitly, Black faces are less readily associated with fear than with anger.
Conclusions: The idea that people may be more hesitant to recognize fear in Black faces has serious implications for the treatment of Black individuals not only in high-stakes situations such as police encounters or intergroup confrontations, but also in realms such as the medical field where such biases could cause Black participants’ pain and vulnerability to be less attended to and treated.
Academic/Professional Position
Medical Student
Recommended Citation
Ahmad, Faiza; Anderson, Adam; Rounds, James Dalton; Chick, Christina; and Hill, Alize, "Mind, Body and Race: A Look Into How Implicit Biases Influence the Perception of Emotion" (2023). Research Symposium. 27.
https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/somrs/theme1/track1/27
Included in
Cognition and Perception Commons, Cognitive Psychology Commons, Developmental Psychology Commons, Psychological Phenomena and Processes Commons, Race and Ethnicity Commons, Social Justice Commons, Social Psychology and Interaction Commons
Mind, Body and Race: A Look Into How Implicit Biases Influence the Perception of Emotion
Background: Most research examining the effects of implicit race-based biases in emotion perception has focused on the perception of Black faces as being angry. Limited work has been done examining the perception of “approach” emotions such as fear. Furthermore, most studies have predominantly used White subjects. Our study examined the role of implicit racial biases in shaping the perception of both anger and fear in White, Black and Asian participants.
Methods: 78 participants completed a Go/NoGo task in which they were asked to categorize different race faces as portraying either anger or fear. Participants would be asked to press the spacebar on a keyboard (i.e. a “Go” response) if they perceived the face was displaying the emotion in question (either anger or fear). Conversely, they were asked to withhold from pressing the spacebar (i.e. a “NoGo” response), if they perceived the face as not displaying the emotion in question.
Results: The results of this study suggest that: a) implicitly, Black faces are less readily associated with fear compared to White faces and b) implicitly, Black faces are less readily associated with fear than with anger.
Conclusions: The idea that people may be more hesitant to recognize fear in Black faces has serious implications for the treatment of Black individuals not only in high-stakes situations such as police encounters or intergroup confrontations, but also in realms such as the medical field where such biases could cause Black participants’ pain and vulnerability to be less attended to and treated.