Racial Bias in Perceptions of Others’ Pain

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.

本研究提供证据表明，人们先验地（a priori）认为黑人相较于白人会感受到更弱的疼痛。本研究同时证实，该偏见根植于对社会地位以及地位所赋予的特权（或困境）的认知，而非种族本身。来自美国国家橄榄球联盟（National Football League）伤病报告的存档数据显示，相较于受伤的白人球员，受伤的黑人球员被认为更有可能在后续赛事中登场，这或许是因为人们认定黑人痛感更弱。实验1至4表明，包括注册护士（registered nurses）和护理专业学生在内的美国白人和黑人群体，均认为黑人比白人感受到更少的疼痛。最后，实验5与6提供证据表明，该偏见根植于对社会地位的认知，而非种族本身。综上，这些数据对于理解与种族相关的偏见及医疗保健差距具有重要意义。