Children who form no racial stereotypes found
 

Brain disorder eradicates ethnic but not gender bias.

Link

Children without Williams syndrome form stereotypes about ethnic groups.US ArmyPrejudice may seem inescapable, but scientists now report the first group of people who seem not to form racial stereotypes.

Children with a neurodevelopmental disorder called Williams syndrome (WS) are overly friendly because they do not fear strangers. Now, a study shows that these children also do not develop negative attitudes about other ethnic groups, even though they show patterns of gender stereotyping found in other children. "This is the first evidence that different forms of stereotypes are biologically dissociable," says Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg, director of the Central Institute of Mental Health in Mannheim, Germany, who led the study published today in Current Biology1.

Adults with WS show abnormal activity in a brain structure called the amygdala, which is involved in responding to social threats and triggering unconscious negative emotional reactions to other races2,3. Racial bias has been tied to fear: adults are more likely to associate negative objects and events, such as electric shocks, with people of other ethnic groups compared with those of their own group4. But according to Meyer-Lindenberg, his latest study offers the strongest evidence so far that social fear leads to racial stereotyping.

Sooooo if kids aren't afraid of strangers and don't form prejudices about other races, they have a neurological disorder?

Silly me, I thought that was called "acceptance."

I call it "alien life form."

All humans have prejudices and stereotypes (even if they are passing thoughts where people immediately correct themselves) regardless of whether it is based on race, gender, social class, sexual orientation, handicap, etc. It doesn't mean all humans are bad. It simply means that socialization, perception, and identifiability of the "other" matter. It doesn't become a bad thing until it becomes pathological and/or goes beyond thought and into action (i.e. discrimination).

Then let me make a correction. The article says "...scientists now report the first group of people who seem not to form racial stereotypes." It later takes out the "seem" and just "do not form negative attitudes about other ethnic groups."

Speaking to the former "seem", I take this to mean that even if they are internally forming these prejudices, the prejudices are either positive or, if they are negative, are not strong enough to the point where the children physically act on them (i.e., show fear/disdain/etc when presented with a person of a particular race). Given an open, accepting environment, any child act this way. I know that the word "disorder" and "abnormal" are not necessarily bad within a scientific context; nevertheless, to say that children who fail to display fear or form negative stereotypes against other races possible do so because of abnormal brain activity just sounds off.

I'd be interested to know the demographics (age, SES, race, location) of these kids and the racial stereotyping their parents/guardians display. Also, that blurb says that the kids didn't form "negative" racial biases--did any of them form positive ones?

So these kids don't care whether you're black, white, green, red or blue....they just care whether you're a boy or girl. Good to know.

They also just did their study only on white kids....way to go Germany!! :rolleyes:


ETA:
According to the article, they chose 18-20 children. All of whom were of 'white European origin' and they ranged in aged from 5 to 16.

Yeah I already said this is BULLSHIT. :p

No, Dr.Phil, seriously. I once had a client (when I was a caseworker) who had Williams syndrome. I can believe this study. The reason I say this is because both she and her daughter were willing to walk up to just anyone (a total stranger) no matter what race, gender, etc. you were and hug you. Within a minute of meeting you, this young woman would refer to you as her "best friend" and she would talk about all the fun things you would do together (like go to the park). She really was very sweet and that was the problem. I had to tell her on numerous occasions that while it was nice she was friendly, she had to be careful about being too friendly and allowing people to take advantage of her. It scared me and my Supervisor that she or her daughter (who also had WS) would hop in the car with just anyone.

I can believe it with WS. I wouldn't say that children with prejudice are messed up neurologically. I don't have an explanation for that but, I can really believe it with WS. It is weird until you actually witness it. They really are the kindest people. Dr.Phil, I don't know what you have your doctorate in (I'm guessing you have your Ph.D. because I could have sworn you referenced it in another post in the past-excuse me if I am wrong) but, if you are into Psychological studies, you should read up more on this because it might interest you.

heh

(@ Dr Phil)

Thus why it is a disorder.

Ummm...that's it? Uh...okey dokey. Yay?

Bullshit.

Hey now...be nice...she is a tutor after all

Stop, meanie. ;)

That wasn't a slight to als463 so much as a slight to this bullshit. I'm so sick and tired of certain fields being able to release these studies with these silly findings and these attention grabbing headlines. I love to read the "limitations" and "implications for future research" of studies. :)

There is not a mean bone in my body.







none










Not one....

shhheeeeeiiiiiiiiitttt

I knew for damn sure that you didn't suddenly have WS.

:D:D lollers. That was what I was thinking too!!

It's like playing "Bullshit" in one of the bestest movies everererererer..."How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days." :)

****huuuuuuggg*****

you're my best friend now!!!




That must mean all the kindergarteners i've subbed for must have WS. The first day I walked in looking for the teacher, they sure as heck didn't care I was a stranger. 1/2 of them walked up to me and gave me hugs and wanted me to sit with them cause I was their new 'friend.'


Never seen it :(

:D Sure, we all have WS before we are verbally and nonverbally socialized.

I imagine (as do these researchers, perhaps :p) that what makes it "WS" is the fact that humans who have been socialized (meaning, they are over a particular age and didn't grow up in a cage where they were kept from humans and left to their primal devices) still hold these traits.



How are you able to sustain? :eek::mad::rolleyes::(:confused:

True, but I know the article also mentions how they don't really know how much socialization impacts this study.

They state: Which I kind of think is a no-brainer. If someone isn't exposed to stereotypes, they are less likely to have them. Durrrrrr.


They also say that WS comes with mental retardation---which seems about right if what als is saying. I think the behavior has more to do with the severity of the retardation vs the actual Williams Syndrome.

I never knew I was missing out! :o Maybe that explains the string of bad relationships lately. :(

Right because, afterall, these things aren't proven to be inherent. This study gets a big womp womp.


I agree.



Nah, but you should watch the movie. I would let you borrow my dvd but I'm stingy as hell when it comes to my movies. :D

Um Wow.

I love how I'm not allowed to comment on a study (or a thread) without Deepimpact or DaemonSeid trying to be a**holes.

I guess, if you are 30, have over 7,000 posts and tend to always feel the need to start a thread about something you found on MSN.com or aol.com (because you are most likely unemployed) and have nothing better to do than find reasons to put people down-then you have reason to speak up. Guess I missed the memo on that one. :rolleyes:

I wasn't being rude to Dr.Phil. I was saying that for someone who may have her Ph.D. (in some sort of humanities-I don't know, so I won't try to guess), she may think this is something to read up on more. It is a very interesting concept.

I was just saying that from personal experience, I have dealt with people who have WS. I guess it that if you have never come across someone with WS, it really is hard to believe someone (adult or child) would be this willing to befriend people or attach to them, so quickly.

Yikes...you're still crazy as shit.

I don't think anyone thought you were being rude. We were responding to what was in your post, which seems ridiculous at best not because of you personally but because of what it is contending. There's absolutely nothing interesting or groundbreaking about this concept.

Actually, I'm sure quite a few people have come across people (both young and old) who are willing to befriend and attach to people so quickly. And many of these people have some "handicap." That is not to be confused with what this study is pretending to have found.

You know...that's shit's getting old...find a new tune to sing dah'lin and either grow a thicker layer of skin or put me on ignore. You will sleep better at night knowing that there's one less GC'er to call you on your BS, trust me.

And what's even more funny sweetie, is you criticize how I post and where I get posts from but I see you replying, so what does that say about you?

So, Im the only one who was wondering who lost these damn kids in the first place? lol. I thought some of these no good parents had lost some more kids in the woods. They said they found kids without racial bias like they'd been searing for them like the hunt for Big Foot. I think I'll quote Dr.Phil and state the obvious with...
"This is Comeplete and utter BULLSHIT"
Yeah, but then again I guess it would be ground breaking to white people that some random white euro kids would be without racial bias and stereotypes. Afterall, white kids and stereotypes go together like peanut butter and jelly. Plus other kids arent capable of this higher level of being. And the ones who are cannot be found. I know more than a few kids that can ignore racial bias and will do so on demand for a study (as long as you comepensate them. lol.)

I am so done with you right now.

If I had something in my mouth, I would have spit it at you!

The Capitals have this stupid banana and a baseball bat that run around chasing each other to that stupid song. I want to scream when I hear it.

*paging Dr. Freud*

seriously? and your method of convincing is awful, als463. your "proof" could also apply to toddlers and many people who are mentally retarded.

Actually, I think mentally "retarded" people are more likely to say "you may be a (insert racial slur) who (insert racial stereotype), but GIVE ME A HUG so I can rub the Black off of ya!!! You'll thank me later!!!"

:p

Why are you done with me? Its not my fault! lol.

Sure...blame it on Da Man!

Or Da Goose....whichever you'd prefer.

Goose get's ya feelin' loose....it does not make you mock the stereotyping white kids.

It seems that you have the problem here. All I said was, "wow." It is beyond me how you could turn that into someone being an a-hole. Perhaps you are just overly sensitive because you know that what you wrote seemed a little silly.

^^^Uh unh. You said "Um" too. Clearly, that was code for "I'm an a-hole. Respond to me as such." Shame on you.



Blame it on the Goose and you'll be in the clear.

LMAOlolol:D;)