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Empathy and Race By myce April 18, 2026 8:37 pm Category: Science & Nature (0.0 from 0 votes) Rules of the Post & Tips. Write & Comment How To Post Here

In another discussion, I mentioned off the top of my head that studies had shown people have less empathy towards black people. HatetheSwamp thought I might be lying if I did not provide a source. In retrospect I could've just asked AI from the start. I didn't have trouble finding a source to support my claim, but rather sifting through numerous articles and research studies on this and similar topics. I ended up using AI anyway.

Multiple scientific studies across neuroscience, developmental psychology, and medicine have documented a consistent empathy gap toward Black individuals. These studies demonstrate that Black suffering is often perceived differently—and often with less urgency—than that of white individuals. 

Key Scientific Studies on the Racial Empathy Gap

Neural & Physiological Arousal (University of Milano-Bicocca):
Researchers used skin conductance tests and fMRI to measure the "pain matrix" in the brain—the neural network that activates when we see others in pain.

The Finding: White observers showed significantly more physiological arousal and brain activity when viewing white skin being pierced by a needle compared to Black skin.

The Link: A 2011 study on racism and empathy for pain found that these reduced reactions were directly correlated with the observers' individual implicit racial biases.

False Biological Beliefs in Medicine (University of Virginia):
A 2016 study published in PNAS surveyed white medical students and residents to understand why Black patients are consistently undertreated for pain.

The Finding: A substantial number of medical trainees held false biological beliefs, such as that Black people's skin is thicker or their blood coagulates faster than white people's.

The Impact: Those who endorsed these false beliefs rated Black patients' pain as lower and made less accurate treatment recommendations.

Pain Stereotypes & Self-Reporting (University of Alabama):
A 2016 study on race-related pain stereotypes asked participants to rate the pain sensitivity of "typical" Black and white individuals.

The Finding: Both Black and white participants rated the typical white person as more sensitive to pain and more willing to report it than the typical Black person.

The Distinction: Interestingly, while Black participants rated the "typical" Black person as less sensitive, they rated themselves as more sensitive to pain than their peers.

Developmental Bias in Children (Various Studies):
Research indicates this gap is not innate but develops throughout childhood.

The Finding: While five-year-old white children show no racial difference in empathy, by age seven, they begin to perceive white individuals as feeling more pain than Black individuals. This bias generally stabilizes by age ten.

Empathy as a Mediator for Treatment (Northwestern University/University of Calgary):A 2013 cross-cultural study examined whether empathy levels directly influenced how much pain medication was prescribed.

The Finding: Participants consistently reported more empathy for white patients than Black patients and prescribed more treatment to white patients, even when both groups displayed the exact same facial expressions of pain.

The Solution: The study also found that a "perspective-taking" exercise—asking participants to actively imagine the patient's life and feelings—could reduce these racial disparities by up to 55%. 

Cited and related links:

1. thesocietypages.org
2. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
3. journals.plos.org

Comments Start Below

by HatetheSwamp on April 19, 2026 3:06 am "I mentioned off the top of my head that studies had shown people have less empathy towards black people. HatetheSwamp thought I might be lying if I did not provide a source." No. I distrusted you because you claimed to know of studies but refused to lead us to those studies. It's a matter of courtesy, especially if you want to evoke dialog. by Navy2711 on April 19, 2026 3:49 am HtS has zero self-preservation instincts. Every time he asks for receipts he immediately gets slapped in the face with them. But he keeps on doing it. by HatetheSwamp on April 19, 2026 4:38 am huh myce gave us three links. by HatetheSwamp on April 19, 2026 4:47 am And, juss sayin... In both posts myce said people generically have less empathy toward black people and I did doubt that. All people? That didn't seem right. That was myce do the Doddering Old Fool's, "Poor kids are just as bright and just as talented as white kids." baha You wokes and progressives are too much! youtu.be by oldedude on April 19, 2026 7:32 am myce- Obviously, well researched. I, too, would appreciate a higher level of citations like a normal paper would have had to tell me which piece is using which citation.[1] I know that my formal citating is different and has changed. It was a detraction from an otherwise well researched post. On blind faith, you answered all the questions I would have. My citations here are "only" for formatting purposes. I only have four possible references in this format. It was well researched enough; you lead me smack into a question. This means it's well done. kudos on that. (snoopy happy dance). My question is; "What do we do now?" All white folk are racists.[2] I understand that. That's a DEI standard thing.[2] The question has always been, "how do we correct this course?" This is a huge difference between liberals and conservatives. The liberal view is that we separate people by their classes. The more "different" you are from white/male, the more points you score. With that come a higher probability of jobs, loans, etc. DEI proponents will say it enhances the worker pool for employers to see missed opportunities.[3] Conservatives are calling DEI racist, especially if there are "quotas" for the workplace.[4] We saw this in the ATC issues where they did have openings, but those openings were only open to DEI hires. Nothing wrong with that, but they had to leave those slots open for DEI and not have all their slots full. And there were no available waivers for those slots. Many believe DEI enhances racism by giving one "section" of society special rights. For the most part, those disagreeing with DEI follow the MLKjr theory of looking at a person's character rath than the group they belong to. Many, including myself, think racism is on a downslope. DEI is actually based on Marxist theorists of racism that have argued that racism is necessary for the reproduction and expansion of capitalism because it maintains divisions among workers and provides an ideological justification for inequality. DEI fulfills that function in the liberal ideology.[5] However, in U.S. law, “exceptional rights” — such as preferential treatment based on race, sex, or other protected characteristics — are generally prohibited under federal anti-discrimination statutes like Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. These laws require that employment decisions be based on merit, not on immutable traits.[6] [5] https://www.amherst.edu/academiclife/departments/courses/2223F/PHIL/PHIL-412-2223F [6] https://www.eeoc.gov/wysk/what-you-should-know-about-dei-related-discrimination-work libguides.up.edu online.hbs.edu talentneuron.com aristotlefoundation.org by myce on April 19, 2026 7:51 am HtS I did not "refuse" to provide a citation, I just took my time to be a little more thorough in my response. Also, here is the definition of the word generally from Merriam Webster: "Generally means commonly, usually, or in most instances⁰. It refers to things that are true for the most part, excluding exceptions, or indicates something is widely accepted. It can also mean in a broad sense, without focusing on specific details." Also, this topic has nothing to do with Biden. Biden has been out of office for more than a year and you're still talking about him. With all his gaffing he is not even woke. Why are you obsessed with Biden who is now irrelevant? I'm starting to think you love Biden like how Ponderer loves you. And why are you so insecure that that you're having such difficulty processing the idea that racial prejudice has real impacts on people's lives? Someone who receives less empathy is more likely to be treated more harshly by law enforcement and less likely to get adequate medical care, for example. However, more exposure to different kinds of people improves empathy. Are there even any black people in your rural village? Have you ever met a real live black person? Do you have cuck fantasies about black men hiding under the bed? by myce on April 19, 2026 8:42 am Oldedude, the word "racist" is so common, but I think the word "prejudice" would be more accurate and less inflammatory much of the time. Everyone is unconsciously biased about everything. The cumulative of individual prejudices leads to the systemic racism which conservatives deny exists and progressives insist is true. The root of systemic racism is a lack of empathy and prejudice from the many individuals who make up the system. DEI has very different connotations to conservatives and liberals. When I think of DEI, I support workplace policies that would reduce prejudice and encourage more diversity of qualified people. DEI could also include giving opportunities to elderly, disabled, reformed felons and others who are clearly disadvantaged. I do not agree with the "equality of outcome" philosophy because there may be many factors that could contribute to one's success or failure. I do not agree with hiring unqualified candidates on the basis of race, if that is actually happening as much as conservatives claim this is happening. I think DEI means or should mean choosing more minorities from a pool of qualified candidates. by oldedude on April 19, 2026 9:14 am First paragraph. Actually according to the ERA, it's a racial issue. Even if I don't care that you fill every box known to DEI, I don't care, and I'm still affected against the law. Second paragraph. Those are already covered in the ERA. Third paragraph. I "might" agree with that. Your hiring more minorities from a pool of qualified candidates is a very loose translation. It actually goes back to the conundrum we had before DEI. Again, this lends itself to job opportunities. The more full-time jobs will actually fill those facets. No jobs means you can pick and choose. If you're out of a barrio, that's one thing. There's limited employment opportunity. If you're a big manufacturing company, you can hire from a larger sliding scale. All the way from janitor to supervisors. Same thing with construction. by Indy! on April 19, 2026 11:02 am OD and Brown Shorts could wake up to a black family hung from the tree in their front yard and still claim racism doesn't exist. The GOP has no choice because once you get to know the party and their policies, it's easy to understand the bedrock - the ONLY thing that holds the GOP together - is racism. BTW, I thought this was a joke the first time I heard it - but the black thing actually applies to pets as well. Go to a Humane Society and ask them which cats are people least likely to adopt - black cats. by myce on April 19, 2026 11:17 am Money-worship requires hierarchy in order for the aristocracy to maintain their power, and of course scapegoats to blame for the results of their money-worship. by oldedude on April 19, 2026 12:11 pm I've been close. We'd see the little brown people you hate so much hung as a routine. Of course, this was done by your butties in ISIL and the Taliban. You know those are your butties that legalized slavery in their country just about a month back? And this coming from the guy that lives in a "mostly" latino area and speak any spanish at all. Who's the racist now? bitch. Oh sorry, it's incel now. by oldedude on April 19, 2026 12:31 pm incelindy- OD and Brown Shorts could wake up to a black family hung from the tree in their front yard and still claim racism doesn't exist. I never said such a thing. The discussion (because you can't fucking read) is about how to make it as small as we can in the US. There will always be assholes (including you), that will actively be hateful. myce- I do understand that that part of the equation. AND I agreed with your point that familiarity and acceptance the issue exists is a small first step. My example is exactly that. Again, MLKjr was an unbelievable human being. And working, living, going on leave with folks that you don't care about the colour of each other's skin, because that's only skin deep. Their character is the thing that matters. And everyone knowing that if one gets crap from some failed asshole that went to "art" "school," it all of a suddenly turns into a very different scene. That goes along with putting your life down for someone you've never met. And as they say, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for another." (because in our case, it was usually someone you'd never met, of every race, creed, colour. Civilian, or one of the uniforms it can never matter. Regarding money worship. I don't get it, and I know it happens. Interesting look at that. Also #8, paragraph #3. I can agree with that also. It flows right into my belief system. by Indy! on April 20, 2026 5:46 pm Odorous, we've already established that the ONLY reason you deal with non-whites is when you're getting paid for it. And you need to quit pretending to know where I live because obviously you don't. However I DO know where you live and I know the odds of you running into anyone who's not as white as yourself on any given day are about the same as you finally admitting you're bi-curious. Go To Top

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