Virtual race transformation reverses racial in-group bias

People generally show greater preference for members of their own racial group compared to racial out-group members. This type of 'in-group bias' is evident in mimicry behaviors. We tend to automatically mimic the behaviors of in-group members, and this behavior is associated with interper...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Hasler, Beatrice S., Spanlang, Bernhard, Slater, Mel
Formato: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2017
País:España
Recursos:Universidad de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de la UB
OAI Identifier:oai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/111754
Acesso em linha:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/111754
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:Relacions racials
Relacions entre grups
Realitat virtual
Race relations
Intergroup relations
Virtual reality
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spelling Virtual race transformation reverses racial in-group biasHasler, Beatrice S.Spanlang, BernhardSlater, MelRelacions racialsRelacions entre grupsRealitat virtualRace relationsIntergroup relationsVirtual realityPeople generally show greater preference for members of their own racial group compared to racial out-group members. This type of 'in-group bias' is evident in mimicry behaviors. We tend to automatically mimic the behaviors of in-group members, and this behavior is associated with interpersonal sensitivity and empathy. However, mimicry is reduced when interacting with out-group members. Although race is considered an unchangeable trait, it is possible using embodiment in immersive virtual reality to engender the illusion in people of having a body of a different race. Previous research has used this technique to show that after a short period of embodiment of White people in a Black virtual body their implicit racial bias against Black people diminishes. Here we show that this technique powerfully enhances mimicry. We carried out an experiment with 32 White (Caucasian) female participants. Half were embodied in a White virtual body and the remainder in a Black virtual body. Each interacted in two different sessions with a White and a Black virtual character, in counterbalanced order. The results show that dyads with the same virtual body skin color expressed greater mimicry than those of different color. Importantly, this effect occurred depending on the virtual body's race, not participants' actual racial group. When embodied in a Black virtual body, White participants treat Black as their novel in-group and Whites become their novel out-group. This reversed in-group bias effect was obtained regardless of participants' level of implicit racial bias. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of this surprising psychological phenomenon.Public Library of Science (PLoS)2017info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionapplication/pdfhttps://hdl.handle.net/2445/111754Articles publicats en revistes (Psicologia Clínica i Psicobiologia)reponame:Dipòsit Digital de la UBinstname:Universidad de BarcelonaInglésReproducció del document publicat a: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0174965PLoS One, 2017, vol. 12, num. 4, p. e0174965https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0174965info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/FP7/257695cc-by (c) Hasler, Beatrice S. et al., 2017http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/esinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/1117542026-05-27T06:46:51Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Virtual race transformation reverses racial in-group bias
title Virtual race transformation reverses racial in-group bias
spellingShingle Virtual race transformation reverses racial in-group bias
Hasler, Beatrice S.
Relacions racials
Relacions entre grups
Realitat virtual
Race relations
Intergroup relations
Virtual reality
title_short Virtual race transformation reverses racial in-group bias
title_full Virtual race transformation reverses racial in-group bias
title_fullStr Virtual race transformation reverses racial in-group bias
title_full_unstemmed Virtual race transformation reverses racial in-group bias
title_sort Virtual race transformation reverses racial in-group bias
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Hasler, Beatrice S.
Spanlang, Bernhard
Slater, Mel
author Hasler, Beatrice S.
author_facet Hasler, Beatrice S.
Spanlang, Bernhard
Slater, Mel
author_role author
author2 Spanlang, Bernhard
Slater, Mel
author2_role author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Relacions racials
Relacions entre grups
Realitat virtual
Race relations
Intergroup relations
Virtual reality
topic Relacions racials
Relacions entre grups
Realitat virtual
Race relations
Intergroup relations
Virtual reality
description People generally show greater preference for members of their own racial group compared to racial out-group members. This type of 'in-group bias' is evident in mimicry behaviors. We tend to automatically mimic the behaviors of in-group members, and this behavior is associated with interpersonal sensitivity and empathy. However, mimicry is reduced when interacting with out-group members. Although race is considered an unchangeable trait, it is possible using embodiment in immersive virtual reality to engender the illusion in people of having a body of a different race. Previous research has used this technique to show that after a short period of embodiment of White people in a Black virtual body their implicit racial bias against Black people diminishes. Here we show that this technique powerfully enhances mimicry. We carried out an experiment with 32 White (Caucasian) female participants. Half were embodied in a White virtual body and the remainder in a Black virtual body. Each interacted in two different sessions with a White and a Black virtual character, in counterbalanced order. The results show that dyads with the same virtual body skin color expressed greater mimicry than those of different color. Importantly, this effect occurred depending on the virtual body's race, not participants' actual racial group. When embodied in a Black virtual body, White participants treat Black as their novel in-group and Whites become their novel out-group. This reversed in-group bias effect was obtained regardless of participants' level of implicit racial bias. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of this surprising psychological phenomenon.
publishDate 2017
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2017
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://hdl.handle.net/2445/111754
url https://hdl.handle.net/2445/111754
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Reproducció del document publicat a: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0174965
PLoS One, 2017, vol. 12, num. 4, p. e0174965
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0174965
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/FP7/257695
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv cc-by (c) Hasler, Beatrice S. et al., 2017
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/es
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv cc-by (c) Hasler, Beatrice S. et al., 2017
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/es
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Public Library of Science (PLoS)
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Public Library of Science (PLoS)
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Articles publicats en revistes (Psicologia Clínica i Psicobiologia)
reponame:Dipòsit Digital de la UB
instname:Universidad de Barcelona
instname_str Universidad de Barcelona
reponame_str Dipòsit Digital de la UB
collection Dipòsit Digital de la UB
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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score 15.301603

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