In a study published in May last year, psychologists explored how people subconsciously evaluate different racial groups. For example, if test subjects combine “white” with “good” faster than they do “white” with “bad”, the test suggests they have an implicit bias favouring white people. Researchers asked half of a group of young, white participants to describe how they — as white people — differed from black individuals. Images of their brains showed lower activation in these brain regions when those in distress belonged to racial groups different from the participants. The amygdala being activated by something perceived as a threat is an automatic part of information processing in the brain.

Source: The Hindu May 06, 2024 03:20 UTC