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.