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Anger, Fear, and Sadness: How Emotions Could Help Us End a Pandemic of Racism
Robyn M Catagnus1, Annette K Griffith1, Brandon J Umphrey1
1Applied Behavior Analysis Online Department, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Chicago, IL USA.
Behavior Analysis in Practice
|June 9, 2021
Summary
Behavior analysis practitioners often feel uncomfortable discussing racism and its associated emotions. The field needs more research and acknowledgment of emotional experiences to address oppression effectively.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral science
- Psychology
- Sociology
Background:
- Racism significantly impacts health and safety globally.
- Emotions are central to the experience of racism.
- Behavior analysis has historically limited its exploration of emotion and its relation to behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess behavior analysis practitioners' perceptions of emotion and racism.
- To identify current understanding and comfort levels regarding these topics within the field.
Main Methods:
- A brief survey was conducted among behavior analysis practitioners.
- The survey explored views on discussing and displaying emotions.
- Participant perspectives on addressing racism and emotions in behavior analysis were gathered.
Main Results:
- Many practitioners are comfortable with emotions but not all.
- A significant number expressed discomfort discussing racism.
- Participants believe the field has inadequately addressed racism and its emotional impact.
Conclusions:
- Behavior analysis needs to increase its focus on antiracism research.
- Acknowledging the emotional experience of racism is crucial.
- Further work is needed to understand and mitigate negative emotions linked to oppression.
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