Development of the neurobiologically and social scientifically informed approach to prejudice and its reduction

In the research conducted by this consortium, we combine cognitive neuroimaging, social psychology, and virtual reality expertise in the study of intergroup emotions. These have previously been studied mostly with self-report questionnaires that can be biased by pressure to conform to norms and difficulties in naming one's emotional reactions. By implementing audio-visuo-tactile virtual reality in neuroimaging, we will be able to study effects of group identity, physical closeness, and contextual factors on emotional reactions. We will also study the effects of different types of contact situations on intergroup emotional reactions in the virtual reality. Finally, we will analyze, based on data obtained with webcams and wearable physiology-recording sensors, group-level emotional reactions and behavior during social psychological interventions by actors in various real-world environments.