Masks and racial stereotypes in a pandemic: the case for surgical masks

Author(s):  
Leah Christiani ◽  
Christopher J. Clark ◽  
Steven Greene ◽  
Marc J. Hetherington ◽  
Emily M. Wager

Abstract To contain the spread of COVID-19, experts emphasize the importance of wearing masks. Unfortunately, this practice may put black people at elevated risk for being seen as potential threats by some Americans. In this study, we evaluate whether and how different types of masks affect perceptions of black and white male models. We find that non-black respondents perceive a black male model as more threatening and less trustworthy when he is wearing a bandana or a cloth mask than when he is not wearing his face covering—especially those respondents who score above average in racial resentment, a common measure of racial bias. When he is wearing a surgical mask, however, they do not perceive him as more threatening or less trustworthy. Further, it is not that non-black respondents find bandana and cloth masks problematic in general. In fact, the white model in our study is perceived more positively when he is wearing all types of face coverings. Although mandated mask wearing is an ostensibly race-neutral policy, our findings demonstrate the potential implications are not.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Mende-Siedlecki ◽  
Jingrun Lin ◽  
Sloan Ferron ◽  
Christopher Gibbons ◽  
Alexis Drain ◽  
...  

Previous work demonstrates that racial disparities in pain care may stem, in part, from perceptual roots. It remains unresolved, however, whether this perceptual gap is driven by general deficits in intergroup emotion recognition, endorsement of specific racial stereotypes, or an interaction between the two. We conducted four experiments (total N = 635) assessing relationships between biases in pain perception and treatment with biases in the perception of anger, happiness, fear, and sadness. Participants saw Black and White targets making increasingly painful and angry (Experiment 1), happy (Experiment 2), fearful (Experiment 3), or sad expressions (Experiment 4). The effect of target race consistently varied based on the emotion presented. Participants consistently saw pain more readily on White (versus Black) faces. However, while the perception of sadness was also disrupted on Black faces, the perception of anger, fear, and happiness did not vary by target race. Moreover, the tendency to see pain less readily on Black faces predicted similar disruptions in recognizing (particularly negative) expressions, though only racial bias in pain perception facilitated similar biases in treatment. Finally, while endorsement of racial stereotypes about threat facilitated recognition of angry expressions and impeded recognition of happy expressions on Black faces, gaps in pain perception were not reliably related to stereotype endorsement. These data suggest that while racial bias in pain perception is associated with general disruptions in recognizing negative emotion on Black faces, the effects of target race on pain perception are particularly robust and have distinct consequences for gaps in treatment recommendations.


1971 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 667-671 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark H. Thelen ◽  
Jerry L. Fryrear

40 black and 40 white female delinquents observed a black or a white male model who employed liberal or stringent standards of self-reward. Even when given explicit normative information, Ss imitated the self-reward standards of the model. There were no differences in imitation as a function of S's race or model's race. Comparison with a comparable recent study showed that the black male delinquents imitated the white liberal male model more than the black female delinquents.


2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 553-562 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Johnson ◽  
John Paul Wilson

Recent research has shown that race can influence perceptions of men’s size and strength. Across two studies (Study 1: N = 1,032, Study 2: N = 303) examining men and women from multiple racial groups (Asian, Black, and White adults), we found that although race does impact judgments of size and strength, raters’ judgments primarily track targets’ objective physical features. In some cases, racial stereotypes actually improved group-level accuracy, as these stereotypes aligned with racial-group differences in size and strength according to nationally representative data. We conclude that individuals primarily rely on individuating information when making physical judgments but do not completely discount racial stereotypes, which reflect a combination of real group-level differences and culturally transmitted beliefs.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Mende-Siedlecki ◽  
Azaadeh Goharzad ◽  
Aizihaer Tuerxuntuoheti ◽  
Patrick Gilbert Mercado Reyes ◽  
Jingrun Lin ◽  
...  

A growing body of evidence demonstrates that perceivers recognize painful expressions less readily on Black (compared to white) faces. However, it is unclear whether this bias occurs independent of controlled processing (for example, the deliberate engagement of racial stereotypes) and whether this bias is still observed when other diagnostic information (e.g., self-reported pain experience) is available. Across five experiments we examined the speed, spontaneity, and robustness of racial bias in pain perception. First, we observed that racial bias in pain perception was still evident under minimal presentation conditions (as brief as 33ms) and was most apparent for ambiguous (versus high intensity) pain expressions (Exp. 1). Next, we manipulated the amount of cognitive load participants were under while viewing and rating Black and white faces in varying degrees of pain (Exps. 2A-B). Here, we observed that perceivers had more stringent thresholds for seeing pain on Black (versus white) faces regardless of whether participants were under high (versus low) load. Finally, we examined whether this bias would persist when participants were also provided with other information regarding targets’ pain – specifically, self-reported pain experience (Exps. 3A-B). While self-report information reduced perceivers’ thresholds for seeing pain overall, racial bias in pain perception was not reliably moderated by self-reported pain experience. Together, these data demonstrate that racial bias in pain perception occurs automatically, based on minimal visual input, and above and beyond other diagnostic information.


Author(s):  
E. L. Thomas ◽  
S. L. Sass

In polyethylene single crystals pairs of black and white lines spaced 700-3,000Å apart, parallel to the [100] and [010] directions, have been identified as microsector boundaries. A microsector is formed when the plane of chain folding changes over a small distance within a polymer crystal. In order for the different types of folds to accommodate at the boundary between the 2 fold domains, a staggering along the chain direction and a rotation of the chains in the plane of the boundary occurs. The black-white contrast from a microsector boundary can be explained in terms of these chain rotations. We demonstrate that microsectors can terminate within the crystal and interpret the observed terminal strain contrast in terms of a screw dislocation dipole model.


2020 ◽  
pp. 7-9

Examination of (35) samples of spices obtained from local markets for the purposes of isolating and diagnosing fungi growing on them. Anine isolates belonging to 13 different types of fungi were diagnosed by the standard dilution method with three replications, and it has been observed that the most samples from which the fungi were isolated is ginger. It was found that the most isolated species of fungi are Penicillium, Aspergillus, and Rizupes spp. A rare colony of fungi was observed, which indicates contamination of the spices under study with the fungus. The present study aims to identify the potential risks of the presence of fungi in spices and what may result from mycotoxins that may be the cause of many chronic diseases as a result of using these spices in large quantities. The study recommends limiting the use of contaminated spices, especially ginger, in preparing food and its uses, in addition to other types such as cloves, black and white pepper, and other types of spices found in the local markets, especially the expired ones.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 85-94
Author(s):  
Christina Landman

Dullstroom-Emnotweni is the highest town in South Africa. Cold and misty, it is situated in the eastern Highveld, halfway between the capital Pretoria/Tswane and the Mozambique border. Alongside the main road of the white town, 27 restaurants provide entertainment to tourists on their way to Mozambique or the Kruger National Park. The inhabitants of the black township, Sakhelwe, are remnants of the Southern Ndebele who have lost their land a century ago in wars against the whites. They are mainly dependent on employment as cleaners and waitresses in the still predominantly white town. Three white people from the white town and three black people from the township have been interviewed on their views whether democracy has brought changes to this society during the past 20 years. Answers cover a wide range of views. Gratitude is expressed that women are now safer and HIV treatment available. However, unemployment and poverty persist in a community that nevertheless shows resilience and feeds on hope. While the first part of this article relates the interviews, the final part identifies from them the discourses that keep the black and white communities from forming a group identity that is based on equality and human dignity as the values of democracy.


Author(s):  
William T. Miller ◽  
Christina A. Campbell ◽  
Jordan Papp ◽  
Ebony Ruhland

Scholars have presented concerns about potential for racial bias in risk assessments as a result of the inclusion of static factors, such as criminal history in risk assessments. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which static factors add incremental validity to the dynamic factors in criminogenic risk assessments. This study examined the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (YLS/CMI) in a sample of 1,270 youth offenders from a medium-sized Midwestern county between June 2004 and November 2013. Logistic regression was used to determine the predictive validity of the YLS/CMI and the individual contribution of static and dynamic domains of the assessment. Results indicated that the static domain differentially predicted recidivism for Black and White youth. In particular, the static domain was a significant predictor of recidivism for White youth, but this was not the case for Black youth. The dynamic domain significantly predicted recidivism for both Black and White offenders, and static risk factors improved prediction of recidivism for White youth, but not for Black youth.


2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (8) ◽  
pp. 1125-1136 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Paige Lloyd ◽  
Kurt Hugenberg ◽  
Allen R. McConnell ◽  
Jonathan W. Kunstman ◽  
Jason C. Deska

In six studies ( N = 605), participants made deception judgments about videos of Black and White targets who told truths and lies about interpersonal relationships. In Studies 1a, 1b, 1c, and 2, White participants judged that Black targets were telling the truth more often than they judged that White targets were telling the truth. This truth bias was predicted by Whites’ motivation to respond without prejudice. For Black participants, however, motives to respond without prejudice did not moderate responses (Study 2). In Study 3, we found similar effects with a manipulation of the targets’ apparent race. Finally, in Study 4, we used eye-tracking techniques to demonstrate that Whites’ truth bias for Black targets is likely the result of late-stage correction processes: Despite ultimately judging that Black targets were telling the truth more often than White targets, Whites were faster to fixate on the on-screen “lie” response box when targets were Black than when targets were White. These systematic race-based biases have important theoretical implications (e.g., for lie detection and improving intergroup communication and relations) and practical implications (e.g., for reducing racial bias in law enforcement).


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