Social cognition
Can feeling a different race's hand as your own reduce bias?
Open access · cc by · source: Europe PMC
White participants who experienced a simulated sensation of owning a black-skinned hand showed a reduction in implicit racial bias, but only if they initially held negative attitudes.
Key findings
Synchronous touch successfully created the illusion of ownership over both black and white rubber hands. Critically, participants who saw the black hand with synchronous touch showed significantly more positive post-test implicit attitudes compared to those who received asynchronous touch. This reduction in racial bias was specifically observed in individuals who initially held relatively negative attitudes.
Methodology
The researchers tested 148 white participants using a between-subjects design. Participants received either synchronous or asynchronous touch stimulation on their own hand while looking at either a black or white rubber hand. Their implicit attitudes toward Black people were measured before and after this experience using a single-category computer test.
Limitations
This study only tested white participants, so it is unclear if the findings generalize to other racial groups or in-group/out-group combinations. It also did not measure the duration of this effect, meaning we do not know if the reduction in implicit bias lasts beyond the immediate experimental session. Furthermore, the single-category computer test may not directly translate to real-world behavioral changes.
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