title: The cortisol response to anticipated intergroup interactions predicts self-reported prejudice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  While prejudice has often been shown to be rooted in experiences of threat, the biological underpinnings of this threat-prejudice association have received less research attention. The present experiment aims to test whether activations of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, due to anticipated interactions with out-group members, predict self-reported prejudice. Moreover, we explore potential moderators of this relationship (i.e., interpersonal similarity; subtle vs. blatant prejudice).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants anticipated an interaction with an out-group member who was similar or dissimilar to the self. To index HPA activation, cortisol responses to this event were measured. Then, subtle and blatant prejudices were measured via questionnaires. Findings indicated that only when people anticipated an interaction with an out-group member who was dissimilar to the self, their cortisol response to this event significantly predicted subtle (r = .50) and blatant (r = .53) prejudice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings indicate that prejudicial attitudes are linked to HPA-axis activity. Furthermore, when intergroup interactions are interpreted to be about individuals (and not so much about groups), experienced threat (or its biological substrate) is less likely to relate to prejudice. This conclusion is discussed in terms of recent insights from social neuroscience.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands. e.h.bijleveld@uu.nl
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bijleveld
authors.forename: Daan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Scheepers
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ellemers
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000378:metabolism*; D011287:Prejudice
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone