News Excerpt:

In a study, psychologists have explored how people subconsciously evaluate different racial groups and found stark differences in participants’ explicit statements from their implicit beliefs.

What is the “Us versus them” mentality?

• “Us versus them” mentality is the tendency of individuals to view the social world in terms of an ingroup (“us”) and an outgroup (“them”). 
• People prefer to associate with those who are similar over those who are different, preferentially allocate resources to similar others, and hold more positive beliefs about similar others.
• Many recent studies have found that our brains process information about in-groups (i.e. “us”) and out-groups (“them”) differently. 
• The criteria our brains use to categorise others as “us” or “them” shift constantly. 

The biology behind the intergroup biases:

• The amygdala is a particular region of the brain that has been implicated in research using neuroimaging to investigate the foundation of intergroup threats.

• Amygdala:

• • Amygdala is an almond-shaped region situated deep in the brain. It's part of a larger network in the brain called the limbic system.
  • It is central to detecting threats and fear-based learning. When it comes to survival, the amygdala and limbic system are extremely important. 
  • It also plays a role in behaviour, emotional control and learning.
  • The amygdala is also involved in tying emotional meaning to our memories, reward processing, and decision-making.

• Imaging studies have shown the amygdala activates to a greater degree when the source of threat is from an out-group member.

Key highlights of the research:

• Using a psychological test called an implicit association test (IAT), scientists found stark differences in participants’ explicit statements from their implicit beliefs. 
• While everyone verbally said they believed in the equality of all races but they also harboured implicit biases in favour of socially advantaged groups. 
• This bias was also universal, irrespective of the racial identity of the participants.

Pseudo-Speciation:

• The history of humankind is replete with people from one cultural or social group treating those from others as if they are less than human — a phenomenon called pseudo-speciation. 
• The basis of this deep-seated tendency in people continues to be the focus of intense research efforts in psychology and neuroscience.

Implicit Association Test (IAT)

• An Implicit Association Test (IAT) is a psychological test whose objective is to reveal unconscious attitudes, automatic preferences, and hidden biases by measuring the time that takes an individual to classify concepts.