Have Scientists Found a Pill to Cure Racism?

[Stu]

Have Scientist Found a Pill to Cure Racism?

Scientists in the UK may have stumbled on a cure for racism. While testing a common heart disease drug, researchers say that those who took Propranolol showed lower ”implicit racist attitudes,” than those who did not take the drug.

Dr. Dr Sylvia Terbeck, of Oxford University, led the study. She believes that the results backup the idea that a person’s racist attitudes are founded on fear. Terbeck explains, “Our results offer new evidence about the processes in the brain that shape implicit racial bias.”

Dr. Terbeck and her team also found that racially biased attitudes can occur in those who are not overtly prejudice (also known as, “I’m not racist, I have ______ friends” syndrome).

She continues: “Implicit racial bias can occur even in people with a sincere belief in equality. Given the key role that such implicit attitudes appear to play in discrimination against other ethnic groups, and the widespread use of propranolol for medical purposes, our findings are also of considerable ethical interest.”

The study polled two groups of individuals and gave them a racial “Implicit Association Test” two hours after taking either Propranolol or a placebo pill. The test asked participants to categorize positive and negative words while viewing images of black and white people. The time taken to perform the tasks helped researchers gauge their implicit levels of racial bias. Those who had taken the drug had less of an implicit bias than their counterparts who had taken the placebo.

Despite the positive results, the drug had no affect on those who held explicitly racist views.

The Telegraph explains:

Propranolol had no effect on a different measure of “explicit” racial prejudice, religious and sexual prejudice, or prejudice against drug addicts.

These were tested using a “feeling thermometer” psychological tool used for assessing explicit prejudice. Volunteers were asked to rate how “warm” they felt towards different groups on a 10-point scale analogous to a thermometer.

The scientists wrote: “The main finding of our study is that propranolol significantly reduced implicit but not explicit racial bias.”

Despite the study’s small size and limitations, the researchers believe it raises important ethical and philosophical questions.

While the results are definitely promising, racial bias is a complicated issue that warrants extensive research. And although I wish there were a pill to cure people’s bias, I’m not sure we’ll ever reach that point.

[Reactionary]

I don't see any connection with reality whatsoever. Firstly, nowhere in the article is defined what "implicit racism" is. Those "scientists" presume that racism is caused by fear - I've heard about that before, just as "homophobia" is allegedly caused by fear as well. I assume those "fears" are founded on our evolutionary ancestry - now, I'm not imaginative enough, but it's always some mumbo jumbo about a fear of foreign tribes who would come and spread their genetic material among the females of our ancient hominid ancestors. Although I'm not a supporter of racism of any kind (my worldview, unlike the evolutionary one, is not racist), I believe that this, or a similar strategy will be used in the future to label anyone who will disagree with the prevailing, desirable views, as sick and in need of treatment. So I won't be surprised if we read about a "cure for religion" in the future. I find materialism offending because it degrades us to bags of chemicals whose 'opinions' could change with a single pill. But it also brings us to the point of absurdity - If racism is a chemical reaction in the brain, then a desire to eradicate racism is... guess what.

[Canuckster1127]

Ah ... Clutch Magazine. It's where I go for science news when TMS or the National Enquirer haven't gotten the scoop first ....

[Reactionary]

Ah ... Clutch Magazine. It's where I go for science news when TMS or the National Enquirer haven't gotten the scoop first ....

I'm not aware of the foreign magazines, how they work or what they're like. Could you elaborate a bit on what's specific about this one?

[Canuckster1127]

I'm not familiar with them either. I just went to the article and then went to the "about us" page here

http://www.clutchmagonline.com/new-to-clutch/

It just struck me as more of a Fashion and Entertainment publication and not a particularly serious source for an issue like this. I hadn't noticed at first clance but it's also primarily targetted to young black women which would explain the interest in the subject (racism).

Just saying, it's a puff piece in my opinion and not anything with any strong foundation to it.

[Stu]

Ah ... Clutch Magazine. It's where I go for science news when TMS or the National Enquirer haven't gotten the scoop first ....

Heard an interview on the subject on my local radio station.. so searched google, this as one of the first results that came up I'm pretty sure there are some other more reputable sources out there though

[Canuckster1127]

Cool. Just my first impression. The issue may have more legs to it, but I have to confess I'm skeptical ... although I have heard of some instances where sitting in a circle smoking pot has been effective in dropping race barriers too ....

[Reactionary]

I hadn't noticed at first clance but it's also primarily targetted to young black women which would explain the interest in the subject (racism).

Oh... But I assume that a magazine targetted to young white women would immediately be shut down because of "racism".

Just saying, it's a puff piece in my opinion and not anything with any strong foundation to it.

Agreed.

[Stu]

Cool. Just my first impression. The issue may have more legs to it, but I have to confess I'm skeptical ... although I have heard of some instances where sitting in a circle smoking pot has been effective in dropping race barriers too ....

Yeah I don't buy it either, just thought it was "interesting" "scientific" news..

One major problem with this finding is that racism is multifaceted.
For instance I have seen and heard elderly people that were raised within a racist surroundings (and racist times), however as they got older they realised that racism is wrong; but because they were brought up that way, a form of institutionalised racism, it remains a part of their make-up, even though they now reject it.

It cannot simply be removed, or cut out altogether. That is why some people say things like: "I'm not racist, I have black friends."
For some it their way of saying I'm not racist. I might not relate to black (or whatever) people, but I certainly don't think I'm better than them, or that they are inferior in any way.

[Canuckster1127]

I hadn't noticed at first clance but it's also primarily targetted to young black women which would explain the interest in the subject (racism).

Oh... But I assume that a magazine targetted to young white women would immediately be shut down because of "racism".

Just saying, it's a puff piece in my opinion and not anything with any strong foundation to it.

Agreed.

Oh good grief ... I wasn't even aware of the demographic when I made my assessment and I stated that. Racism is overall a more important and significant issue within the black community for obvious reasons. Noting that, doesn't have to carry racial overtones in the one observing it.

It just seems absurd to me on the face of it. The theory being presented here is that "racism" is in some way tracable at it's root to chemical elements in the brain. Pills can't "cure" racism. Racism is a conditioned thought pattern that is behaviouslly reinforced by education (or lack of it), and ties to many logical fallacies such as stereotyping and group think in the thinking of those who practice it. It ties to the all too human tendency to the homogenous principle that we tend to associate positively with those people most like ourselves and fear or distrust those different than us. I see that tendency in myself as well and I've been guilty of it in the past and no doubt can again in the future, although I think it's diminished in me over the years specifically because of some experiences and some significant changes in thinking that I've shared elsewhere in the past.

I don't really care about the demographic, I just noted it after the fact as to why it would be of interest. Infotainment, fashion magazines rely upon advertising and distribution to drive revenue and the more sensational a claim that can be made to capture interest and drive up readership, the more the advertising is worth. So yes, without apology when I see a story like this with a hook headline my immediate thought is to look to the source and realize those dynamics and to look skeptically upon there being any real scientifically based observations. That's as true of any other magazine that appeals to other demographics too. Maybe there's something there but I'd need to see it addressed in a more formal way before I gave it any really serious thought.

[Reactionary]

It cannot simply be removed, or cut out altogether. That is why some people say things like: "I'm not racist, I have black friends."
For some it their way of saying I'm not racist. I might not relate to black (or whatever) people, but I certainly don't think I'm better than them, or that they are inferior in any way.

Neither do I, but mind that fear is a big factor, because people are starting to be cautious that anything they might say about the topic of race, may be interpreted as racism. And once you're labelled as 'racist', your career may suffer, and if you're famous or renowned, your name may be dragged along the headlines. The fear of racism may exaggerate - like here, when the Internet meme "U mad, bro?" apparently became racist:
http://gawker.com/5837350/high-schooler ... timidation

Oh good grief ... I wasn't even aware of the demographic when I made my assessment and I stated that. Racism is overall a more important and significant issue within the black community for obvious reasons. Noting that, doesn't have to carry racial overtones in the one observing it.

I understand why you think that. However, I'd like to note that there are many people who believe that racism against whites is impossible and non-existent. I haven't experienced racism personally as I belong to the same race as the majority of the citizens of my country, but I won't hide that I have been offended many times on the Internet, having read messages that try to humiliate the white race, males especially. I won't go into details, but re-phrasing such a message in order to refer to any non-white race would certainly be considered offensive. However, it implies that a white person cannot be offended on the racial basis, which is, of course, wrong.

[Canuckster1127]

Racism exists and influences things in any number of ways and it's not unique or exclusive to any one race either as the perpetrators or the object. As you note, it's usually far less of a concern to those who are in a majority because they do not experience discrimination or ostracizing to the degree that those in the minority do. That's why I said what I did about the magazine being targetted to young, black women. Black women in particular feel the brunt of both racial and sex discrimination in the US and as such they tend to be much more aware of and interested in articles that deal with that issue. Magazines know their intended audience and they make sure their articles are going to scratch where they itch and hook those they are looking for as readers.

[Ivellious]

What is it with heart pills having apparent "miracle" side-effects? I mean, Viagra was supposed to be a freaking heart medication for high blood pressure, but it worked better for...ahem...other uses.

More on topic, this seems rather sketchy to me. While you could certainly trace many mental and emotional reactions to brain activity, I don't think it's quite as simple as "take a pill to remove personality traits." That's like trying to invoke love with a pill, it just doesn't work. I mean, maybe the pill just releases endorphins that make people less likely to feel negatively about people? Kind of like certain pills can suppress depression with hormones? I don't know, but I seriously doubt you can "cure" something like that so easily.