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

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.