Target Weight and Gender Moderate Anti-Black Bias in Pain Perception.

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Perception Science
• Racial Bias Studies

Background:

• Individuals perceive pain less accurately on Black faces compared to White faces in the United States.
• Existing research highlights racial disparities in pain perception, but the influence of intersecting factors like weight and gender is less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if target weight and gender moderate the anti-Black bias in pain perception.
• To examine the interactive effects of race, weight, and gender on the accuracy of pain recognition from facial cues.

Main Methods:

• Three experiments were conducted to assess pain perception across faces varying in race, weight, and gender presentation.
• A well-powered, pre-registered study (Experiment 3) replicated and confirmed initial findings on the interaction effects.

Main Results:

• Anti-Black bias in pain perception was significantly mitigated among heavier-weight male-appearing targets compared to average-weight targets.
• Target weight did not moderate this bias for female-appearing targets.
• Weight and gender interactively shaped racial bias in pain perception, with weight being a significant moderator for male-appearing faces only.

Conclusions:

• Racial bias in pain perception is not uniform and is influenced by intersecting characteristics of the target individual.
• The findings underscore the importance of considering intersectionality (e.g., race, gender, weight) when examining social perceptual biases.
• Understanding these complex interactions is crucial for addressing disparities in pain recognition and treatment.