How immigrants are redefining 'American' in Southern California
Can a pill cure racism? Not quite, but...
File this one under crazy but true: A common beta blocker used for heart patients to treat chest pains and help lower heart rates can also lower prejudice against others, according to a new Oxford University study. While the study was small-scale and the results are open to interpretation, they make some sense given what the pills do to patients' brains.
A Southern California Public Radio story explains:
Thirty-six people took part in the study. Half received the beta-blocker and half a placebo.
Two hours later, each took a psychological exam. Participants categorized positive and negative words, along with pictures of white and black people.
A third of those who took the beta blocker scored lower on the test, suggesting they were less racially prejudiced at a subconscious level.
No one who took a placebo got that result.
And while all this may sound crazy, scientists say there is a rational explanation: racism, they maintain, is founded on fear, and beta blockers act on the part of the brain that governs fear and emotional responses.
Read more at: www.scpr.org
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