Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 22, 2025

Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses
06:42

Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses

Published on: September 28, 2018

12.0K

Angry in America: Psychophysiological Responses to Unfair Treatment

Julian F Thayer1, Luca Carnevali2, Andrea Sgiofo2

  • 1Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.

Annals of Behavioral Medicine : a Publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine
|January 8, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Racism and discrimination contribute to higher hypertension rates in African Americans. A unique "cardiovascular conundrum" pattern of physiological response to unfair treatment was identified, impacting cardiovascular health.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Health
  • Health Disparities
  • Psychosocial Factors

Background:

  • African Americans experience the highest rates of hypertension-related diseases in the USA.
  • Racism and discrimination are linked to increased morbidity and mortality in this population.
  • The negative impacts of discrimination extend to families and even those perpetrating bias.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Identify a unique physiological response pattern to unfair treatment, termed the "cardiovascular conundrum."
  • Characterize this pattern by examining heart rate variability and total peripheral resistance differences between ethnic groups.

Main Methods:

  • Review existing evidence supporting the existence of the "cardiovascular conundrum."
  • Propose potential physiological and psychological factors underlying this pattern.
  • Suggest mitigation strategies for the adverse effects of discrimination.

Main Results:

  • The "cardiovascular conundrum" is characterized by greater heart rate variability and total peripheral resistance in African Americans compared to European Americans.
  • Evidence supporting this unique physiological response pattern is reviewed.

Conclusions:

  • The proposed framework on "cardiovascular conundrum" may extend beyond Black/White disparities to other groups facing unfair treatment.
  • Addressing systemic factors perpetuating inequalities is crucial for mitigating health disparities.
  • Acknowledging and confronting challenges are necessary steps toward reducing wealth and health disparities.
Abstract

Keywords:
AngerDiscriminationHeart rate variabilityRacismTotal peripheral resistanceUnfair treatment

More Related Videos

The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies08:24

The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies

Published on: August 25, 2023

952
A Modified Trier Social Stress Test for Vulnerable Mexican American Adolescents06:15

A Modified Trier Social Stress Test for Vulnerable Mexican American Adolescents

Published on: July 10, 2017

13.2K

Related Concept Videos

Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination02:55

Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination

Humans are very diverse and although we share many similarities, we also have many differences. The social groups we belong to help form our identities (Tajfel, 1974). These differences may be difficult for some people to reconcile, which may lead to prejudice toward people who are different. Prejudice is a negative attitude and feeling toward an individual based solely on one’s membership in a particular social group (Allport, 1954; Brown, 2010). Prejudice is common against people who...
94.0K
Psychological Responses to Stress01:20

Psychological Responses to Stress

Psychological responses to stress encompass the various cognitive and emotional reactions individuals experience when faced with challenging or threatening situations, such as a job loss. Prolonged exposure to stressors can disturb emotional balance, increasing negative emotions (e.g., anxiety and sadness) and diminishing positive emotions (e.g., joy and satisfaction). These persistent emotional shifts are associated with an increased risk of both physical illness and mental health issues, such...
337
Aggression01:47

Aggression

Humans engage in aggression when they seek to cause harm or pain to another person. Aggression takes two forms depending on one’s motives: hostile or instrumental. Hostile aggression is motivated by feelings of anger with intent to cause pain; a fight in a bar with a stranger is an example of hostile aggression. In contrast, instrumental aggression is motivated by achieving a goal and does not necessarily involve intent to cause pain (Berkowitz, 1993); a contract killer who murders for...
29.5K
Surveys02:16

Surveys

Often, psychologists develop surveys as a means of gathering data. Surveys are lists of questions to be answered by research participants, and can be delivered as paper-and-pencil questionnaires, administered electronically, or conducted verbally. Generally, the survey itself can be completed in a short time, and the ease of administering a survey makes it easy to collect data from a large number of people.
16.4K
Stereotype Content Model02:16

Stereotype Content Model

The Stereotype Content Model (SCM) was first proposed by Susan Fiske and her colleagues (Fiske, Cuddy, Glick & Xu, 2002; see also Fiske, 2012 and Fiske, 2017). The SCM specifies that when someone encounters a new group, they will stereotype them based on two metrics: warmth—or that group’s perceived intent, and how likely they are to provide help or inflict harm—and competence—or their ability to carry out that objective. Depending on the warmth-competence...
15.1K
Self-Serving Bias01:29

Self-Serving Bias

Self-serving bias is a cognitive phenomenon in which individuals attribute positive outcomes to internal factors such as their abilities, intelligence, or effort while attributing negative outcomes to external circumstances. This cognitive distortion helps maintain self-esteem but can also impede objective self-assessment.Theoretical Explanations of Self-Serving BiasTwo primary theories explain the self-serving bias: the cognitive explanation and the motivational explanation.The cognitive...
79