Biomedical subjects

Sophie Trawalter

Publications and source records attributed to Sophie Trawalter.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Why do interracial interactions impair executive function? A resource depletion account.

Three studies investigated the veracity of a resource depletion account of the impairment of inhibitory task performance after interracial contact. White individuals engaged in either an interracial or same-race interaction, then completed an ostensibly unrelated Stroop color-naming test. In each study, the self-regulatory demands of the interaction were either increased (Study 1) or decreased (Studies 2 and 3). Results revealed that increasing the self-regulatory demands of an interracial interaction led to greater Stroop interference compared with control, whereas reducing self-regulatory demands led to less Stroop interference. Manipulating self-regulatory demands did not affect Stroop performance after same-race interactions. Taken together, the present studies point to resource depletion as the likely mechanism underlying the impairment of cognitive functioning after interracial dyadic interactions.

Cognition↗

PubMed2005

On the categorization of admired and disliked exemplars of admired and disliked racial groups.

The present work examined the influence of affective fit in the racial categorization process. Study 1 tested whether famous exemplars of stigmatized and nonstigmatized racial groups are categorized by race at differential rates, depending on whether they are admired or disliked. Using an inverted-face paradigm, Study 2 examined whether racial categorization accuracy differs for admired and disliked exemplars of these groups. Study 3 examined the influence of collective self-esteem on Whites' tendency to differentially categorize admired and disliked Black and White exemplars. Last, Study 4 replicated the pattern of results found in the previous studies for White participants, making use of unknown exemplars about whom participants learned either positive or negative information prior to categorizing them. Taken together, the results suggested that phenotypically irrelevant affective information regarding exemplars and their social group memberships influences the racial categorization process. Implications for prejudice and stereotyping are discussed.

Ethnicity↗

PubMed2005

Ironic effects of racial bias during interracial interactions.

Previous research has suggested that Blacks like White interaction partners who make an effort to appear unbiased more than those who do not. We tested the hypothesis that, ironically, Blacks perceive White interaction partners who are more racially biased more positively than less biased White partners, primarily because the former group must make more of an effort to control racial bias than the latter. White participants in this study completed the Implicit Association Test (IAT) as a measure of racial bias and then discussed race relations with either a White or a Black partner. Whites' IAT scores predicted how positively they were perceived by Black (but not White) interaction partners, and this relationship was mediated by Blacks' perceptions of how engaged the White participants were during the interaction. We discuss implications of the finding that Blacks may, ironically, prefer to interact with highly racially biased Whites, at least in short interactions.

Black People↗

PubMed2004

Performance on the IOWA card task by adolescents and adults.

Performance on the Iowa Card Task (ICT) is impaired in several populations that demonstrate poor decision-making and risk-taking including patients with damage to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. For some individuals, adolescence is a period of poor decision-making and risk-taking. Adolescence is also a period of neuroanatomic and neurochemical remodeling. There is evidence that neuropsychological functions of the prefrontal cortex change during adolescence; however, decision-making, as measured by the ICT, has not been systematically studied in adolescents over the age of 14 years. In the present study, 60 participants (30 female) in each of grades 6-12, and 60 young adults were administered the Iowa Card Task, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task (WCST), a survey of impulsivity and excitement-seeking, and a quantity-frequency index of substance use. Results showed significant and steady improvement on the Iowa Card Task from the 6th grade to adulthood. Performance on the Iowa Card Task was not correlated with measures of impulsivity, excitement-seeking or reported individual substance use. There was one indication that poly-substance use was negatively correlated with performance on the ICT. Performance on the WCST was not significantly correlated with performance on the Iowa Card Task or any other measure. Across age, males and females had a different response pattern on the ICT. Females tended to choose cards associated with both immediate wins and with long-term outcome. Males tended to choose on the basis of long-term outcome. Results are discussed in terms of adolescent brain development and decision-making differences between males and females.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

An fMRI investigation of the impact of interracial contact on executive function.

We investigated whether individual differences in racial bias among white participants predict the recruitment, and potential depletion, of executive attentional resources during contact with black individuals. White individuals completed an unobtrusive measure of racial bias, then interacted with a black individual, and finally completed an ostensibly unrelated Stroop color-naming test. In a separate functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) session, subjects were presented with unfamiliar black male faces, and the activity of brain regions thought to be critical to executive control was assessed. We found that racial bias predicted activity in right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in response to black faces. Furthermore, activity in this region predicted Stroop interference after an actual interracial interaction, and it statistically mediated the relation between racial bias and Stroop interference. These results are consistent with a resource depletion account of the temporary executive dysfunction seen in racially biased individuals after interracial contact.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Variation in black anti-white bias and target distancing cues: factors that influence perceptions of "ambiguously racist" behavior.

Experiment 1 indicated that when the White supervisor's negative treatment of a Black subordinate was unconstrained, participant race had no impact on attributions. Conversely, when the treatment was constrained, Black participants reported greater racist attributions than did White participants. Experiment 2 indicated that when the supervisor reported no response or a minimal negative response (i.e., indicating that he did not support his actions) after his negative treatment of the Black subordinate, Black participants reported greater racist attributions than did White participants. Conversely, when the supervisor's negative treatment was followed by a more extreme negative response, participant race had no impact on attributions. Experiment 3 indicated that Black participants were less likely than White participants to perceive a minimal negative response as reflecting a White supervisor's lack of support for his negative actions. Conversely, participant race had no impact on attributions of a Black supervisor's negative actions.

Adult↗