Recent research published in journals pro swan This suggests that watching videos that evoke certain emotions may reduce racial prejudice and increase tolerance toward Black Americans. The findings provide evidence that media designed to capture the brain’s attention may provide a practical way to combat large-scale prejudice.
Scientists Yilong Wang and Paul J. Zak wanted to find a widely available method to reduce outgroup bias. Outgroup bias refers to the human tendency to prefer people in one’s own social circle while avoiding or judging people seen as outsiders. This tendency has evolutionary origins, with early humans prioritizing their own group to ensure survival, but in modern societies it limits social connections and harms communities.
Face-to-face interactions can reduce this bias, but these methods are expensive and difficult to organize for millions of people. Wang and Zack aimed to test whether short videos selected using biological measurements could effectively change attitudes and behavior on the Internet. Scientists suggest that video content is an ideal medium for widespread intervention because nearly everyone can access it.
“Racial tensions remain high in the United States and other countries. So far, the most effective way to reduce outgroup prejudice is through direct contact with outgroups, but it is not a scalable solution,” said study author Paul J. Zach, a professor at Claremont Graduate University and author of the following books: The Little Book of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Living Better.
“My goal was to screen a library of videos to identify videos with high neurological value (a brain network my lab discovered and named ‘immersion’ that can be measured every second with an app that applies algorithms to data from smartwatches) that reduce negative attitudes and behaviors toward African Americans.”
The scientists conducted two separate experiments to test the idea using a concept called brain as a predictor. This approach suggests that by measuring the neurological responses of a small number of people, we can accurately predict how a much larger group will respond to the same stimulus.
In the first experiment, 62 participants were recruited to watch five short videos about the negative effects of racial bias. Rather than simply asking participants which videos they liked best, the researchers measured participants’ neurological immersion.
The scientists measured this using an optical sensor attached to the participants’ forearms. These sensors track changes in heart rhythm, which reflect cranial nerve activity. This neural activity indicates specific types of brain function related to emotional resonance and sustained attention.
One video created the most immersive experience for viewers. The video was an animated story about Dr. Ronald McNair, a black astronaut who died in the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. The video featured McNair’s younger brother narrating how the future physicist overcame severe racial discrimination as a child in South Carolina and eventually earned a doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
In a second experiment, the scientists tested this highly immersive video on a larger scale. They assembled a representative sample of 1,097 adults living in the United States. Researchers randomly assigned participants to watch either a treatment video about Dr. McNair or a neutral control video showing a natural scene with relaxing music.
Before and after watching the videos, participants completed a questionnaire measuring their positive and negative emotional states. They also completed a standard questionnaire designed to measure positive and negative attitudes toward Black Americans. This allowed the researchers to establish a baseline of bias and see if the videos changed people’s perceptions of bias.
To measure actual behavior rather than mere opinion, the scientists had participants practice distributing money in what they called the “ultimatum game.” This game requires participants to use their theory of mind, the ability to understand and predict the intentions of others.
In this exercise, one person is given $10 and must suggest a way to split it between the second person. The second person can accept or reject the split, in which case neither of them will receive the money. A fair split of $5 is usually expected, but offering less than that is often considered unfair or stingy.
Participants were asked to make decisions as both those giving and receiving money. They were paired with a hypothetical partner who was given either a statistically common white name, like Mike, or a common black name, like Demetrius. The researchers measured generosity by calculating the difference between the amount participants offered and the lowest amount they themselves were willing to accept.
Baseline data from the control group revealed that prejudice against Black Americans exists throughout the general population but is concentrated in specific demographics. The scientists found that prejudicial attitudes were highest among men, younger people between the ages of 18 and 43, and people who identified as Republicans.
Watching treatment videos changed these patterns. The video reduced mean self-reported negative attitudes toward Black Americans by 11 percent compared to a control group. Scientists have found that this video increases positive emotions in viewers, which helps encourage positive changes in perspective.
Highly immersive video has also changed the way people share money in economic games. Participants who watched Dr. McNair’s story saw a 104 percent increase in generosity when paired with a partner who shared a black name. This effect was specific to out-group members, and the videos did not change the amount of money people shared with partners who had a common white name.
Behavioral changes were particularly pronounced among certain demographic groups. For example, men in the treatment group increased their financial generosity by more than 300% compared to men who watched nature videos. The video was also successful in reducing self-reported biased attitudes among young adults and Republicans, bringing their scores closer to the national average.
“This video had a huge impact on the behavioral agenda of sharing money,” Zak told SciPost. “We hypothesized that this video would have some effect, but the more than double the amount of money shared with African American strangers, especially those who reported high levels of prejudice against this group, demonstrates the powerful impact of effective (and therefore immersive) communication.”
Scientists also wanted to know whether these changes persist beyond the initial observations. They followed up on a portion of the treatment group two weeks later and asked them to complete the questionnaire and the money distribution game again. Follow-up data showed that reductions in prejudiced attitudes and increases in generosity persisted after this two-week waiting period.
“We were surprised by this,” Zach said. “This is a very strong response from a single video, and shows that humans’ innate biases against their own group can be reduced by giving them a little bit of well-structured information about another group.”
The researchers point out several potential misconceptions and limitations regarding their study. Because this study focused on a representative sample of U.S. adults, the results may not apply to people living in other countries with different cultural histories. The study also specifically investigated prejudice against Black Americans, so it’s not yet clear whether the exact same methodology would work for other marginalized groups.
“The data are based on a representative sample of U.S. adults, so the findings generalize to the U.S. but may not apply to other countries,” Zack noted. “We also focused on prejudice against black Americans. Our methodology may influence prejudice against other groups, but it has not yet been shown to be effective. Additionally, there is no ‘brainwashing.’ People make their own choices, and we are simply presenting information in an effective way that may or may not influence people’s behavior. ”
In the future, the scientists hope to investigate how this approach could alleviate other societal problems. They plan to test whether similar videos can reduce prejudice against people of different sexual orientations, nationalities, genders, and religions. They also suggest testing the effects of virtual or augmented reality to see if more immersive technologies reduce bias even more powerfully.
“We have developed a scalable neuroscience methodology to influence the attitudes and behaviors that cause social illness,” Zack says. “For example, we recently used this methodology to address the growing support for socialism in the United States, a state structure that has impoverished and killed millions of people.” We demonstrated growing support for economic freedom among Americans. We also launched the first neuroscience-as-a-service (NaaS) company, which allows anyone to measure and improve the neurological value of their communications and lived experiences, and is being used around the world.”
“While the results are important, I hope this methodology can be used by others to reduce social evils. This is not difficult, and we have shown that the main cause of negative attitudes and behaviors is ignorance of others, rather than people being ‘bad’ or ‘evil.’ Communication is critical to creating a more harmonious world. ”
The study, “Video Intervention Reduces Racial Prejudice in a Representative Sample of U.S. Adults: A Brain Study as a Predictor,” was authored by Yilong Wang and Paul J. Zak.
