CAREER: The role of the resting brain in stereotyping & stereotype change

陈规定型观念(即与社会群体成员有关的属性)普遍存在，导致对社会群体成员的消极对待和有害后果。理解刻板印象为什么会发生并可能被削弱，对于创造一个更公平、更繁荣的社会非常重要。这项研究调查了休息时(即人们没有特别注意任何事情时)的大脑过程是否预示着刻板印象和刻板印象的减弱。人们普遍认为，大脑需要通过精神休息来休息，以帮助学习新信息，这个项目将测试休息是否以及如何鼓励更公平地对待他人。理解刻板印象背后的机制以及如何改变它们是心理学和神经科学的中心目标。因为刻板印象学得很好，它们毫不费力地就出现在脑海中，很难减少，因为人们往往无法阻止它们。这项研究将在参与者短暂休息时测量神经活动，在观察他们可以刻板印象的人之前，通过短暂的精神休息来测试休息期间的神经反应是否预测了他们稍后的刻板印象。这项研究的第二个目的是确定刻板印象在休息时是否被削弱(例如，在与刻板印象群体中的人进行积极的社会互动后休息是否会削弱群体刻板印象)。为了达到这些目标，目前的研究将使用功能磁共振成像(FMRI)来检查休息时的大脑反应，以及它们与刻板印象和刻板印象变化的关系。使用功能磁共振成像将提供关于人们为什么会刻板印象以及当这些心理事件发生时刻板印象如何被削弱的见解。该项目还具有教育目的，旨在向代表性不足的社区传播社会神经科学教育，并在社会背景下调查这些问题，在社会背景下，刻板印象通过与不同人群的积极互动自然发生变化。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Stereotypes (i.e., attributes associated with members of social groups) are widespread, leading to negative treatment of social group members and deleterious consequences. Understanding why stereotyping occurs and can be weakened are important for creating a more equitable, prosperous society. This research examines if brain processes during rest (i.e., when people are not paying attention to anything in particular) predict stereotyping and the weakening of stereotypes. It is commonly thought that the brain needs to rest by taking a mental break to help learning new information, and this project would test whether and how rest encourages fairer treatment of others. Understanding the mechanisms underlying stereotypes and how to change them is a central goal of psychology and neuroscience. Because stereotypes are so well-learned that they come to mind effortlessly, they are hard to reduce because people often cannot stop them. This research will measure neural activity while participants briefly rest by taking a short mental break before observing someone who they could stereotype to test whether the neural responding during the rest period predicts their stereotyping moments later. The second aim of this research is to determine if stereotypes are weakened during rest (e.g., does rest following a positive social interaction with someone from a stereotyped group weaken group stereotypes). To address these aims, the current research will use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine brain responses during rest and how they relate to stereotyping and stereotype change. Using fMRI will provide insights on why people stereotype and how stereotypes are weakened as these mental events take place. This project also has educational aims to disseminate social neuroscience education to under-represented communities and to investigate these questions in societal contexts in which stereotypes naturally change through positive interactions with diverse populations.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.