Unique Neural Correlates of Implicit and Explicit Bias
Date
2012-05
Authors
Volpert, Hannah
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
The goal of the present work was to investigate whether explicit and implicit
racial biases would differentially moderate electroencephalogical (EEG) activity
associated with cognitively controlled semantic processing or implicit, evaluative
processing. Participants’ EEG was recorded while they completed a face-trait pairing
task, where positive or negative, stereotypically Black (African-American) or White
(Caucasian-American) traits followed the presentation of either a Black or White face
acting as a prime. ERP components examined included the N100, a component related
to selective attention processes, the P200, a component related to the detection of
negative, threatening stimuli that has previously been linked with implicit racial bias,
and the N400, a component related to the detection of semantic incongruity, recently
utilized to examine stereotype-endorsement. Results indicated that evaluative implicit
bias moderated P200 activity (28% of the variance) whereas self-reported explicit bias
robustly moderated N400 activity (42% of the variance). Results are interpreted in the
context of affective versus consciously controlled associations involved in implicit and
explicit bias.
Description
Keywords
explicit racial biases , implicit racial biases , electroencephalogical activity , EEG activity , neural correlates