The reward value of stereotypes: Evaluating the contribution of the neural reward circuitry to the persistence of stereotypes

Project Information

Rewarding Stereotype

Grant agreement ID: 838282

DOI

10.3030/838282

Project closed

EC signature date 24 April 2019

Start date 1 September 2019

End date 12 February 2022

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 185 464,32

EU contribution

€ 185 464,32

Coordinated by

BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY OF THE NEGEV
Israel

Project description

Understanding the neurobiology of stereotypes

European cities and communities, schools and workplaces, are becoming more and more diverse. The concept of diversity recognises the benefits that can be gained from differences but social prejudices and stereotypes (overgeneralised attributes associated with members of a social group) continue to fuel intergroup conflict and discrimination. The EU-funded Rewarding Stereotype project is examining the underlying neurobiological basis of stereotype perseverance. It suggests that stereotypes and stereotype-consistent information evoke a neural reward response, which reinforces the stereotype. They will propose interventions to implement on educational, institutional and social policies to promote a just society.

Objective

Social interactions are guided by stereotypical knowledge about others: Should I turn to a male or female friend for emotional support? Should I be concerned about the foreign-looking person walking behind me? In the past few decades the endeavour to reduce cultural stereotypes has proved to be very difficult and often unsuccessful. The current research program promotes a novel proposal regarding the underlying neurobiological basis of stereotype perseverance: the “rewarding stereotype hypothesis”. In an interdisciplinary integration of models and theories, I suggest that stereotypes and stereotype-consistent information evoke a neural reward response, leading to powerful feedback that reinforces culturally-pervasive stereotypes and their associated behaviors. A battery of experiments encompassing neuroimaging and computational studies utilizing state-of-the-art tools will test the core tenets of the hypothesis. This will be completed by observing the hypothesized mechanism and then by its manipulation. Importantly, the putative sensitivity of stereotypes to rewards suggests that altering the reward scheme for non-stereotypical behaviors can have a strong impact on decisions and behavior. Following initial proof of concept, I suggest several scalable intervention examples to explore the potential implications on educational, institutional and social policies promoting a just society. Effective communication of these efforts holds the potential for a long term improvement of society. Altogether, the current proposal combines the complementary strengths of the researcher and the host to establish the building blocks for a new view of stereotypes, one that suggests that we can render them less pervasive if we consider their underlying reward value.

Keywords

• Reward

Programme(s)

• H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions MAIN PROGRAMME
  
• H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
  

Topic(s)

• MSCA-IF-2018 - Individual Fellowships
  

Funding Scheme

MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)

Call for proposal

H2020-MSCA-IF-2018

Coordinator

BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY OF THE NEGEV

• Net EU contribution: € 185 464,32
• Address: . ; 84105 Beer Sheva ; Israel
• Activity type: Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
• Total cost: € 185 464,32