Title |
Racial Bias in Perceptions of Others’ Pain
|
---|---|
Published in |
PLOS ONE, November 2012
|
DOI | 10.1371/journal.pone.0048546 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Sophie Trawalter, Kelly M. Hoffman, Adam Waytz |
Abstract |
The present work provides evidence that people assume a priori that Blacks feel less pain than do Whites. It also demonstrates that this bias is rooted in perceptions of status and the privilege (or hardship) status confers, not race per se. Archival data from the National Football League injury reports reveal that, relative to injured White players, injured Black players are deemed more likely to play in a subsequent game, possibly because people assume they feel less pain. Experiments 1-4 show that White and Black Americans-including registered nurses and nursing students-assume that Black people feel less pain than do White people. Finally, Experiments 5 and 6 provide evidence that this bias is rooted in perceptions of status, not race per se. Taken together, these data have important implications for understanding race-related biases and healthcare disparities. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United States | 83 | 36% |
United Kingdom | 18 | 8% |
South Africa | 3 | 1% |
Canada | 2 | <1% |
Ireland | 2 | <1% |
Comoros | 2 | <1% |
Spain | 1 | <1% |
India | 1 | <1% |
Guinea | 1 | <1% |
Other | 9 | 4% |
Unknown | 106 | 46% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 184 | 81% |
Scientists | 22 | 10% |
Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 10 | 4% |
Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 10 | 4% |
Unknown | 2 | <1% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United States | 4 | 2% |
Ireland | 1 | <1% |
South Africa | 1 | <1% |
United Kingdom | 1 | <1% |
Malaysia | 1 | <1% |
Denmark | 1 | <1% |
Canada | 1 | <1% |
Spain | 1 | <1% |
Luxembourg | 1 | <1% |
Other | 0 | 0% |
Unknown | 243 | 95% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Ph. D. Student | 50 | 20% |
Student > Master | 39 | 15% |
Student > Bachelor | 28 | 11% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 27 | 11% |
Researcher | 19 | 7% |
Other | 39 | 15% |
Unknown | 53 | 21% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Psychology | 79 | 31% |
Social Sciences | 25 | 10% |
Medicine and Dentistry | 25 | 10% |
Nursing and Health Professions | 10 | 4% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 10 | 4% |
Other | 44 | 17% |
Unknown | 62 | 24% |