The influence of facial feedback on race bias.
Two studies were conducted to examine whether facial feedback can modulate implicit racial bias as assessed by the Implicit Association Test (IAT). Participants were surreptitiously induced to smile through holding a pencil in their mouth while viewing photographs of unfamiliar Black or White males or performed no somatic configuration while viewing the photographs (Study 1 only). All participants then completed the IAT with no facial manipulation. Results revealed a spreading attitude effect, with significantly less racial bias against Blacks among participants surreptitiously induced to smile during prior viewing of Black faces than among participants surreptitiously induced to smile during prior viewing of White faces.
Ito
Tiffany A
TA
Department of Psychology, 345 UCB, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0345, USA. tito@psych.colorado.edu
Chiao
Krystal W
KW
Devine
Patricia G
PG
Lorig
Tyler S
TS
Cacioppo
John T
JT
D001244:Association; D001290:Attitude; D005145:Face; D006801:Humans; D011287:Prejudice; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012904:Smiling / Q000523:psychology*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology