Uncertain threat is associated with greater impulsive actions and neural dissimilarity to Black versus White faces

Abstract

Race is a social construct that contributes to group membership and heightens emotional arousal in intergroup contexts. Little is known about how emotional arousal, specifically uncertain threat, influences behavior and brain processes in response to race information. We investigated the effects of experimentally manipulated uncertain threat on impulsive actions to Black versus White faces in a community sample (n = 106) of Black and White adults. While undergoing fMRI, participants performed an emotional go/no-go task under three conditions of uncertainty: 1) anticipation of an uncertain threat (i.e., unpredictable loud aversive sound); 2) anticipation of an uncertain reward (i.e., unpredictable receipt of money); and 3) no anticipation of an uncertain event. Representational similarity analysis was used to examine the neural representations of race information across functional brain networks between conditions of uncertainty. Participants—regardless of their own race—showed greater impulsivity and neural dissimilarity in response to Black versus White faces across all functional brain networks in conditions of uncertain threat relative to other conditions. This pattern of greater neural dissimilarity under threat was enhanced in individuals with high implicit racial bias. Our results illustrate the distinct and important influence of uncertain threat on global differentiation in how race information is represented in the brain, which may contribute to racially biased behavior.

Interactive effects of participant and stimulus race on cognitive performance in youth: Insights from the ABCD study

“…Specifically, both Black and White children showed enhanced attention to, and modest improvements in working memory for, Black faces compared to White faces (i.e., better accuracy detecting a rare Black face target). This finding is consistent with the literature on attentional bias to Black faces that has been associated with negative racial stereotypes associated with threat in U.S. adult samples ( Rubien-Thomas et al, 2023 ). White children also showed an advantage in recognition memory performance for same-race faces compared to other-race faces.…”

“…The findings of enhanced attention to Black faces, regardless of participant race, in the current study with this measure, is consistent with the adult literature ( Bean et al, 2012 , Richeson and Trawalter, 2008 , Trawalter et al, 2008 ) and with studies showing advantages in early or rapid processing of Black faces over White faces in U.S. samples ( Brosch et al, 2013 , Contreras et al, 2013 , Golby et al, 2001 , Hughes et al, 2019 , Natu et al, 2011 , Ratner et al, 2013 , Reggev et al, 2020 , Rubien-Thomas et al, 2021 ). Advantages in processing of Black faces or individuals has been interpreted as reflecting negative stereotypes of Black individuals as threatening ( Brosch et al, 2013 , Stolier and Freeman, 2016 , Rubien-Thomas et al, 2023 ) just as cues of physiological threat are processed early and rapidly ( Öhman et al, 2001 ). These basic attentional effects also may reflect heightened arousal due to the social threat of appearing prejudiced in response to racial cues ( Richeson and Trawalter, 2008 ).…”

“…on a go/nogo task), an attentional bias to Black versus White faces in both Black and White participants is observed too ( Rubien-Thomas et al, 2021 ). Moreover, in studies that include Black and White participants and face stimuli in emotional conditions of threat, reward and nonarousal, greater attentional bias to Black than White faces in both Black and White participants has been shown in the threat relative to the reward and nonarousal conditions ( Rubien-Thomas et al, 2023 ). These findings, although from adults, are consistent with an interpretation of racial attentional bias as related to negative stereotypes of Black individuals as threatening.…”

“…The findings show biased attention toward Black, compared to White, faces are associated with faster, more accurate responses and/or greater distractibility by these cues in both Black and White adults ( Bean et al, 2012 , Correll et al, 2002 , Correll et al, 2006 , Donders et al, 2008 , Richeson et al, 2003 , Richeson and Shelton, 2003 , Rubien-Thomas et al, 2021 , Trawalter et al, 2008 ). This bias of attention toward Black facial cues is associated with early stages of rapid visual and face processing ( Brosch et al, 2013 , Contreras et al, 2013 , Golby et al, 2001 , Hughes et al, 2019 , Natu et al, 2011 , Ratner et al, 2013 , Reggev et al, 2020 , Rubien-Thomas et al, 2021 ) and thought to be related to negative stereotypes of Black individuals as threatening ( Brosch et al, 2013 , Stolier and Freeman, 2016 , Rubien-Thomas et al, 2023 ), consistent with cues of physiological threat being processed early and rapidly ( Öhman et al, 2001 ). These basic attentional effects also may be related to heightened arousal due to the social threat of appearing prejudiced in response to racial cues ( Richeson and Trawalter, 2008 ).…”