A new study from researchers at the University of Toronto Scarborough recently found that our brains respond differently to people of different races. In the study white participants watched men of different races pick up a glass of water and take a drink.
Researchers reported that, typically, when we watch people perform a task a part of our brain fires that correlates with when they themselves would perform that task. But in this study:
…participants’ motor cortex was significantly less likely to fire when they watched the visible minority men perform the simple task. In some cases when participants watched the non-white men performing the task, their brains actually registered as little activity as when they watched a blank screen.
What it comes down to is that, at a neurological level, our brains don’t identify with people from other races the same as they do with people from our own race, according to the study. Researcher Jennifer Gutsell said in a report:
“What we found is that there is a basic difference in the way peoples’ brains react to those from other ethnic backgrounds. Observing someone of a different race produced significantly less motor-cortex activity than observing a person of one’s own race. In other words, people were less likely to mentally simulate the actions of other-race than same-race people”
[Image Via U.S. National Institute on Aging, Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral Center]
Sara Inés Calderón is a journalist and writer who lives between Texas and California. Follow her on Twitter @SaraChicaD.
