Lecture 10: Groups and Identity (NSBED, UU)

Social categorization is visible in task performance.

There is a racial bias.

The brain has an automatic conflict-detection system, located in the ACC. It signals us when we are in conflict situations that require attention. You see the effect of an error:

The stronger the error detection, the less behavioral bias in shooter task.

People who are intrinsic motivated to respond without prejudice show stronger error detection. Extrinsic motivation doesn’t improve performance!

Within 200ms, the brain categorizes others around us in terms of race, gender, sexual orientation. This triggers implicit associations with ingroup (positive) and outgroup (negative), leading to bias in behavior.

It is possible to control these automatic biases by monitoring performance, detecting conflict between goals and failure to achieve these goals. However, for this you either need to be intrinsically motivated or reminded of your moral values.

The empathy gap – the empathy we feel for people like us is much larger than for people unlike us.

Mu suppression – indicates motor cortex activity. It can happen when you see other people move. Happens more when you see people of the ingroup than people of the outgroup.

Stronger activation in the anterior insula in pain of own race.

• Empathy is based on neural simulation of actions (motor cortex) and emotions (anterior insula)
• We are less likely to simulate the behaviors and emotions of outgroup members

Stereotype threat – when people are reminded of stereotypes about their group. This creates threat. This threat is cognitively distracting.

Biopsychosocial model of threat and challenge – two motivational states:

1. Threat: cognitive appraisal of situation where demands exceed resources.
2. Challenge: cognitive appraisal of situation where resources meet or exceed demands.

It uses the responses of the autonomous nervous system to determine threat and challenge.

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• Priming people with negative stereotypes about their group can damage their performance
• Threat of negative stereotypes activates brain areas associated with emotion regulation and social concerns.

Social pain triggers a neural alarm system that consists of the dorsal ACC and rvPFC.

Repeated exposure to social pain increases sensitivity of neural alarm system: more vigilance for social pain and the pain becomes more intense. This also has negative health outcomes.

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