Baylor Study Finds People Primed With Christian Religious Words
More Likely To Express Racial PrejudiceApril 6, 2010 First study
to scientifically test the effect of religion on racial
prejudice Follow us on Twitter: @BaylorUMediaCom A Baylor
University study that is the first to scientifically test the
effect of religion on racial prejudice has found people primed
with Christian concepts led to increased expression of racial
prejudice and general negative views toward African-Americans.
The study appeared this week in the premier journal Social
Psychological and Personality Science. "What's interesting about
this study is that it shows some component of religion does lead
to some negative evaluations of people based on race. We just
don't know why," said Dr. Wade Rowatt, associate professor of
psychology and neuroscience at Baylor who led the study. "It
could be that priming religious words activates cognitive
representation of things like right-wing authoritarianism and a
Protestant work ethic." Priming occ