Biased Brains: Science of Bias

Group Perception, Prejudice, Dehumanization, Sexual Objectification, and Potential Solutions

Group Perception

• Group perception involves observing new labels after fixating on a stimulus.
• Directions are given for 4 seconds, followed by a fixation period of 2 seconds.
• A new label is noted.
• A stimulus is presented for 2 seconds.
• Fixation occurs for 2, 4, 6, or 8 seconds.
• The amygdala is involved in group perception (Van Bavel et al., 2008).

Brain Networks and Social Cognition

• Brain regions involved in social cognition:
  • dMPFC (dorso-medial prefrontal cortex)
  • PACC (pregenual anterior cingulate cortex)
  • PCC (posterior cingulate cortex)
  • RCZ (rostral cingulate zone)
  • TPJ (temporoparietal junction)
• Studies comparing brain activity in different scenarios:
  • Mixed trials vs. in-group and out-group trials
    • PACC activation observed
  • Inter-group behavior vs. fair behavior
    • dMPFC activation
  • In-group trials vs. out-group trials
    • Anterior insula and middle frontal gyrus activation
• Second-level analysis: Mixed trials vs. in-group trials
  • Participants showing inter-group behavior:
    • dMPFC, precuneus/PCC, TPJ activation
  • Participants showing fair behavior:
    • RCZ, anterior insula, middle occipital gyrus activation (Volz et al., 2009)
• Locations (x, y, z coordinates) of brain activity are specified for different contrasts.

Prejudice

• Race is a social construct with no genetic basis.
• The amygdala underlies bias response.
• Implicit Association Test (IAT) results (Black/White) show a correlation between amygdala activity and IAT scores (r = 0.576, p < 0.05).
• Eyeblink startle response (Black - White) correlates with amygdala activity (r = 0.92).
• Startle eyeblink correlates with Modern Racism Scale scores (r = 0.556, p < 0.05), but not significantly with explicit measures (r = 0.047, ns).
• Phelps et al., 2000 study.

Amygdala

• Sub-cortical structure involved in affective processing.
• Assigns emotional salience and vigilance.
• Most inter-connected brain region.
• Influences basic sensory processing and higher-order cognition.
• Involved in vicarious (observational) social learning.
• Deals with basic reward contingencies & conditioning.
• Has strong reciprocal connections to prefrontal regions, serving as a pathway for top-down control & bottom-up influence.
• Connects to the hippocampus for memory.
• Connects to the striatum for value.
• Connects to the dorsal visual pathway for sensory processing.
• Influences everything from guiding visual input to executing action.

Race in the Brain

• Brain regions involved in race processing:
  • Fusiform gyrus: Identification of race from faces.
  • Amygdala: Race-based evaluations.
  • ACC: Monitoring for racial bias.
  • DLPFC: Regulating racial bias (Kubota et al., 2012).
• dIPFC: Regulation.
• vmPFC: Inhibition.
• Amygdala: Expression.

Striatum and Value

• The striatum is involved in dopamine processing.
• Decision-making depends on more than prior histories.
• The brain assigns value to a stimulus.
• Value depends on:
  • Context
  • Fictive Error (what might have been)
• Value is essentially a social construct.
• Value interacts with prior histories (experience) constantly updating.

Goals and Bias Response

• Experiment 1 (fMRI):
  • Food Face and Word Response task with a 12-second response period and a 12-second intertrial interval.
  • Categorization (L/R)
  • Individuation (L/R)
  • Visual Search (L)

Dehumanization

• 'Human' emerged from the concept of 'in-group'.
• Flexible social cognition determines who is human or not, deserving of moral protection.
• Social cognition includes Default Mode Network (DMN).

Social Cognition and Stigmatized Groups

• Social Cognition
  • A: DMN (ICA)
  • B: DMN
  • C: (rest) social D theory cognition of mind
  • E: rest social cognition
  • F: rest theory of mind
• Stigmatized Groups
  • Perceived as not nice + inept.
  • Elicit disgust + contempt
  • Warmth Competence pity pride disgust envy (Fiske et al., 2002)
• Basic Paradigm
  • Pride Envy Pity Disgust
  • 1 2 3 4
  • 11 secs. 1 sec. 500 ms. / 2 secs. 4 secs. Time

Behavior and fMRI Results

• Behavior + fMRI Results (Harris & Fiske, 2006)
  • Warmth
  • Competence
  • $\eta^2 = .47$
  • $\eta^2 = .41$
  • $\eta^2 = .30$
  • $\eta^2 = .50$

EEG Results

• EEG Results (Harris & Fiske, 2009)
  • frontal differentiation
  • stimuli onset
  • -0.2000s -0.1900s -0.1800s -0.1700s -0.1600s -0.1500s -0.1400s -0.1300s -0.1200s -0.1100s -0.1000s -90.0 ms
  • -80.0 ms -70.0 ms -60.0 ms -50.0 ms -40.0 ms -30.0 ms -20.0 ms -10.0 ms 0.0 ms 10.0 ms 20.0 ms 30.0 ms
  • 3.0 uV
  • 40.0 ms 50.0 ms 60.0 ms 70.0 ms 80.0 ms 90.0 ms 0.1000s 0.1100s 0.1200s 0.1300s 0.1400s 0.1500s
  • -3.0 PV
  • 0.1600s 0.1700s 0.1800s 0.1900s 0.2000s 0.2100s 0.2200s 0.2300s 0.2400s 0.2500s 0.2600s 0.2700s
  • 0.2800s 0.2900s 0.3000s 0.3100s 0.3200s 0.3300s 0.3400s 0.3500s 0.3600s 0.3700s 0.3800s 0.3900s

Describing 'A Day in the Life'

• Different types of verbs & adjectives used to describe people (Semin & Fiedler, 1989)
  • descriptive action verbs (sit)
  • interpretive action verbs (sprawl)
  • mental state verbs (relax)
  • adjectives (lazy)
• “Please describe a day in the life of this person” Harris & Fiske, 2011

Frequency of Word Use

• Frequency of Word Use Dehumanised Perception (Harris & Fiske, 2011)
  • t (86.22) = 2.52, p < .05

Preference Intervention

• ?
• O3

Changing Neural Activations

• Change perspective- reappraise (Gross & John, 2003; Ochsner, et al. 2002) Life-saving drug
• Change level of processing- individuate (Fiske & Neuberg, 1990; Fiske et al., 1999) Categorical Individuated Motivation, Information

Procedure

• Independent variables:
  • Age (categorical) task
  • Vegetable (individuated) task
  • 18 participants
  • 10 female
  • 7 non-white
  • 11 sec. 1 sec. 2 sec.

Reactivating MPFC

• Reactivating MPFC: Dorsal: dehumanized: veggie>age, $t (17) = 3.37$, partial $\eta^2 = .56$ Ventral: humanized: veggie>age, $t (17) = 3.35$, partial $\eta^2 = .55$
  • x = -6, y = 51, z = 25
  • x = 4, y = 57, z =12 Harris & Fiske, 2007

Soup Kitchen Intervention

• Paradigm: Pride Envy Pity Disgust 1 2 3 4 2000 ms Jitter 2000 ms Jitter Social Interaction Video Kirk, Cohen, Sinnott-Armstrong, & Harris, in prep.

Intervention Info (Behavioral Data)

• Behavioral Data: Intervention Info
  • t(18)= 4.39, p < .00035
  • t(18)= 4.98, p < 9.76E-5

fMRI results for Insula and Amygdala

• Figure 2. (A) Whole-brain contrast (p uncorr < .001) demonstrating increased Insula and Amygdala response to dehumanized targets pre-intervention. (B) ROI analysis showing reduced Amygdala and Insula activation to dehumanized targets following social contact. A B Kirk, Cohen, Sinnott-Armstrong, & Harris, in prep.

Sexual Objectification

• Sexual Objectification
  • A
  • B
  • C
  • Sexualized Women Cikara, Eberhardt, & Fiske, 2010

N170 Amplitude Data

• HV
  • -2
  • 0
  • 2
  • п
  • -150
  • -50
  • 150
  • ms
  • -12
  • -10
  • 8
  • 9.
  • N170 amplitude (μv)
  • +
• -2
  • Upright Images
  • Inverted Images
  • Bernard et al., 2018
  • 0
  • Non-Sexualised Bodies
  • Sexualised Bodies

Conclusion

• Medial temporal lobe
• Anterior temporal lobe
• Amygdala
• Striatum
• Semantic knowledge
• Dorsal striatum
• Habit
• Example intergroup outcomes
• Semantic association (priming)
• Biased impressions/ policy support
• Implicit stereotypes and evaluations
• Instrumental
• Choice bias, intergroup approach/ avoidance
• Biased face processing
• Aversive conditioning
• Automatic bias in choice and action
• Nonverbal anxiety, social distance

Conclusion (Neural Mechanisms of Bias)

• dACC: Bias detection and initiation of control
• mPFC: Representation of other people and normative cues for control
• rACC: Detection of external social cues for control
• dIPFC (left side): Selection of unbiased response
• IFG (right side): Inhibition of biased response

Conclusion (Summary of Social Categorization and Bias)

• Social categorization occurs rapidly in the brain.
• Prejudice depends on affective mechanisms; ameliorated by social goals.
• Dehumanization depends on social cognition reduction; ameliorated by social goals.

Biased Physiology

• Lasana Harris

Outline

• Biopsychosocial model
• Impact of racial bias on targets
• Impact of sexual objectification on targets
• Impact of homophobia on targets
• Potential solutions

Disclaimer

• We will not take a victim perspective, but one of resilience in the face of challenge

Biopsychosocial Model

• Goal-Relevant Situation
• Intra/Inter-Personal Factors
• Cognitive Appraisal
• Physiological Factors
• Bio-Factors
• Physiological Arousal
• Bio-Factors
• Physio/Cognitive Factors
• Interoception
• Attention
• External Cues (Affect)
• Response
• Blascovich & Tomaka, 1996

The Heart

• Ventricular contractility (VC)
  • Decrease in the pre-ejection period (until the aortic valve opens)
• Cardiac output (CO)
  • Amount of blood being pumped by the heart
• Total peripheral resistance (TPR)
  • Overall vasoconstriction or vasodilation in the periphery

Threat versus Challenge

• Challenge
  • Activation of the sympathetic-adrenal-medullary (SAM) axis
  • Enhances cardiac performance
  • VC and CO increase with TPR decrease
• Threat
  • Activation of the (SAM) axis and the pituitary-adrenal-cortical axis (PAC)
  • Inhibits decreases in systemic vascular resistance
  • VC increase, no change in CO and TPR

Threat and Challenge Responses

• A
• ms
• 25
• 20
• I/m
• B
• 1.2
• TPR
• C
• units
• 150
• 1
• 0.8
• 15
• 8 0.4
• 0.6
• 100
• 10
• 5
• 0
• 50
• 0
• -50
• -100-
• -150
• D
• 8 0.4-
• 3
• 4
• 6-
• 2 0.2
• 0
• 2 0
• 4
• 5
• -0.2
• 0
• -0.4
• Black White
• E
• 25
• 1.2
• ms
• I/m
• 20
• 1
• 0.8
• 15
• VC
• 0.6
• F
• units
• TPR
• 150
• 10
• 5
• 50
• 0.2
• 0
• 0
• -0.2
• -50
• -0.4-
• Disadvantaged Advantaged
• -100
• -150

Threat-challenge index

• Threat-challenge index
  • 0.8
  • 0.6
  • 0.4
  • 0.2
  • 0
  • -0.2
  • -0.4
  • -0.6
  • -0.8
  • Coping Response
  • One-group
  • Dual identity
  • Participant's representation (majority)
  • Partner's representation (minority)

Interim Summary

• People can respond to stressors with either a maladaptive threat or a more adaptive challenge response
• Type of response determined by goals, identity, motivations, and experiences

Racial Bias Response

• Responses to Racism
  • Forms of Racism:
    • Individual/Institutional Racism
    • Structural Racism
    • Cultural Racism
  • Mediation Models
  • Psychological Processes
    • Stress and Coping
    • Classical Conditioning
    • Worry and Rumination
    • Racist Cognitive Schema
    • Subjective Stress Responses (States)
    • Negative Processing Predispositions (Traits)
  • Critical Brain Mechanisms
    • Central and Lateral Amygdala Activation
    • Reduced Prefrontal Cortical Inhibition
    • Cortical Neural Circuits
    • Left/Right Brain Asymmetries
  • Physiological Outcomes
    • SAM and HPA Responses
    • Disease Biomarkers: Allostatic Changes
  • Gestational Period
    • Maternal Mediating Variables
    • Prenatal Effects
    • Well-Being

Potential Buffers

• Descriptive Statistics and Correlations for Study Variables
  • M (SD)
  • 12345
  • 1. Age (years) 13.87 (.63)
  • 2. Perceived discrimination 1.83 (.65) .07
  • 3. Preparation for bias 2.31 (.88) **-181 .27
  • 4. Race pride 2.52 (.82) -.12 *.34.68
  • 5. Self-esteem 3.40 (.47) **-.28 -.08 *.26*.24

Potential Buffers and Statistical Models (Race Pride and Preparation for Bias)

• Potential Buffers (Harris-Britt, et al., 2007)
  • Age
  • Parental marital status
  • Parental income
  • Parental education
  • Discrimination
  • Race pride
  • Discrimination × Race pride
  • Race pride²
  • Discrimination Race pride²
  • Gender
  • Preparation for bias
  • Discrimination Preparation for bias
  • Preparation for bias²
  • Discrimination x Preparation for bias²

Potential Buffers: Race Pride and Preparation for Bias (Simple Slope Analysis)

• Potential Buffers (Harris-Britt, et al., 2007)

Sexual Objectification

• Design
• Green et al., 2012
  • TABLE 1. Means, Standard Deviations, and Standard Errors of Time 1 and Time 2 Measures
  • M
  • SD
  • SE
  • Range
  • N
  • Weight
  • Thin-Ideal
  • Social Comparison
  • Trait Self-Objectification
  • HR Objectified (6 sec)
  • HR Non-Objectified (6 sec)
  • HR Objectified (5 min)
  • HR Non-Objectified (5 min)
  • State Anxiety
  • Negative Affect
  • Body Dissatisfaction
  • Ideal
  • Attractive in Clothing

Results

• TABLE 1. Means, Standard Deviations, and Standard Errors of Time 1 and Time 2 Measures

Body Surveillance

Body Shame

Sexual Orientation

• Responses to Homophobia

Responses to Homophobia (Model)

• Responses to Homophobia (Mink et al., 2014)
  • Dominant Culture Stigma
  • Sexual Minority Stressors
    • Frequency
    • Duration
    • Intensity
  • Health Outcomes
    • Mental
    • Physical
    • Spiritual
    • Social
  • Individual
    • Affiliations
    • Behaviors
    • Traits
  • Appraisal
    • Threat
    • Attribution
    • Self-Efficacy
  • Coping
    • Effectiveness
    • Duration
    • Cost
  • Groups
  • Stigma
  • Stigma
  • Other Minority Groups

Disclosing Sexual Orientation

• Table I. Demographic characteristics of participants (Perez-Benitez et al., 2007).

Stroke Volume Mean Difference Scores

• Stroke volume (SV). SV is the amount of blood ejected by the heart during a single cardiac cycle.

HTHR Mean Difference Scores

• Heather index (HTHR). HTHR is a measure of the myocardial contractility during both the pre-ejection and ejection phases of the cardiac cycle

Buffers for Homophobia

• Internalized Homophobia
• Community Affiliation
• Depression
• Relationship Problems
• Outness

Buffers (Means, Standard Deviations, and Correlations)

• Means, Standard Deviations, and Correlations among the Overall Scales (Frost & Meyer, 2009)