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A review of neuroimaging studies of race-related prejudice: does amygdala response reflect threat?

Chekroud, Adam M., Everett, Jim A. C., Bridge, Holly, Hewstone, Miles (2014) A review of neuroimaging studies of race-related prejudice: does amygdala response reflect threat? Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8 . Article Number 179. ISSN 1662-5161. (doi:10.3389/fnhum.2014.00179) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:83706)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00179

Abstract

Prejudice is an enduring and pervasive aspect of human cognition. An emergent trend in modern psychology has focused on understanding how cognition is linked to neural function, leading researchers to investigate the neural correlates of prejudice. Research in this area using racial group memberships has quickly highlighted the amygdala as a neural structure of importance. In this article, we offer a critical review of social neuroscientific studies of the amygdala in race-related prejudice. Rather than the dominant interpretation that amygdala activity reflects a racial or outgroup bias per se, we argue that the observed pattern of sensitivity in this literature is best considered in terms of potential threat. More specifically, we argue that negative culturally-learned associations between black males and potential threat better explain the observed pattern of amygdala activity. Finally, we consider future directions for the field and offer specific experiments and predictions to directly address unanswered questions.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00179
Uncontrolled keywords: amygdala, prejudice, neuroimaging, social neuroscience, implicit bias, threat
Subjects: Q Science
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Psychology
Depositing User: Jim Everett
Date Deposited: 26 Oct 2020 08:36 UTC
Last Modified: 17 Aug 2022 11:02 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/83706 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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