Prejudice from thin air

Wonder why people in all the these internet clips are such bigots? Anger brings it out of people. 

BOSTON, Mass. – You may be more prejudiced than you think, especially if you’re angry and approached by someone of a different race, religion or creed.

A study slated for publication in the Spring 2004 edition of Psychological Science (the flagship Journal of the American Psychological Society) by psychology professors David DeSteno and Nilanjana Dasgupta from Northeastern University and UMass Amherst respectively, reveals that the experience of anger causes automatic, immediate prejudices against those who are not a part of one’s social group.

…DeSteno explains the study by use of an example. “Much as the experience of fear leads individuals to adaptive behaviors to avoid dangers (e.g., quickly recoiling from a snake in one’s path), the experience of anger, due its association with preparation for conflict, automatically shifts individuals’ rapid appraisals of social groups outside of their awareness or control,” he says. “When conflict is likely, different equals bad, and the brain prepares to shape our behavior accordingly.” [Eureka Alert]