The Social Neuroscience of Prejudice
Diversity and inclusion are critical to maintaining excellence in clinical care. Fortunately, as the demographics of our world change individuals are more likely to engage with others who are from different backgrounds. Although this increasingly inclusive atmosphere provides new opportunities, fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment that translates to care has been challenging. In this discussion, we will unpack these challenges and examine factors that contribute to social identity bias and factors that improve intergroup relations using evidence from both social science and neuroscience.
October 12, 2021 at 9:00AM PST/12:00AM EST (other time zones)
Jennifer Kubota is an Assistant Professor and co-director of the Impression Formation Social Neuroscience Lab in the Departments of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Political Science and International Relations at the University of Delaware. Dr. Kubota received a joint PhD in Social Psychology and Neuroscience from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She then held a postdoctoral fellowship in social neuroscience at New York University, during which she worked on projects related to the neural foundations of racial bias.
Dr. Kubota’s research explores how we achieve equity in intergroup relations. She examines how we form impressions of marginalized individuals or those who are different from us; how those impressions influence our thoughts, feelings, and decisions; and how we may intervene to achieve parity or improve interactions. As a social neuroscientist, her research crosses disciplinary boundaries, bridging psychology, neuroscience, and decision-making with the goal of understanding real-world social change. Her work has been published in various neuroscience and psychology journals, including Nature Neuroscience, Nature Human Behaviour, Psychological Science, Perspectives in Psychological Science, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Biological Psychology, and Social, Cognitive, and Affective Neuroscience. She has received funding from the Army Research Institute, Ford Foundation, National Institute on Aging, and the National Science Foundation in support of her research.
Target Audience
This program was designed for physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, psychologists, and social workers.
Learning Objectives
Neurocognitive Therapies and Translational Research Webinar Series:
- To evaluate promising neuroscientific findings in the areas of emotion, socioemotional learning and development, cognition, and therapeutic change that have significant potential to improve prevention and intervention efforts for mental illness.
- To recognize common barriers to the translation and adoption of basic science in real-world clinical practice.
Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:
- Define prejudice and stereotyping
- Define implicit and explicit bias
- Define social neuroscience and describe how measures of brain activity such as EEG and fMRI are used to make inferences about social processes.
- Discuss how social categorization occurs
- Discuss possible interventions based on behavioral and neuroscience research
Live Zoom link: https://uw-phi.zoom.us/j/93503640117
Presenter: Jennifer Kubota, PhD
Jennifer Kubota is an Assistant Professor and co-director of the Impression Formation Social Neuroscience Lab in the Departments of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Political Science and International Relations at the University of Delaware. Dr. Kubota received a joint PhD in Social Psychology and Neuroscience from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She then held a postdoctoral fellowship in social neuroscience at New York University, during which she worked on projects related to the neural foundations of racial bias.
Dr. Kubota’s research explores how we achieve equity in intergroup relations. She examines how we form impressions of marginalized individuals or those who are different from us; how those impressions influence our thoughts, feelings, and decisions; and how we may intervene to achieve parity or improve interactions. As a social neuroscientist, her research crosses disciplinary boundaries, bridging psychology, neuroscience, and decision-making with the goal of understanding real-world social change. Her work has been published in various neuroscience and psychology journals, including Nature Neuroscience, Nature Human Behaviour, Psychological Science, Perspectives in Psychological Science, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Biological Psychology, and Social, Cognitive, and Affective Neuroscience. She has received funding from the Army Research Institute, Ford Foundation, National Institute on Aging, and the National Science Foundation in support of her research.
Planning Commitee:
Judy Callan, PhD RN
Rudi De Raedt, PhD
Angela Fang, PhD
Ryan Jane Jacoby, Ph.D.
Maria Kryza-Lacombe, PhD
Andrew Peckham, PhD
Greg Siegle, PhD
Marlene Strege,PhD
Michael Thase, MD
Conflict of Interest Disclosure:
Dr. Jacoby receives grant/research support from the National Institute of Mental Health under award number K23 MH120351. In the last year she has also received salary and research support from the International OCD Foundation, the Charles A. King Trust Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program (Bank of America, N.A., Co-Trustees), the Harvard University Mind Brain Behavior Initiative, the Harvard University Department of Psychiatry Livingston Fellowship Award, and the Harvard University Pershing Square Fund for Research on the Foundations of Human Behavior. Dr. Jacoby has received salary support from Telefonica Alpha, Inc. She is paid as a faculty member of the Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatry Academy. She also receives book royalties from Hogrefe Publishing.
Dr. Peckham receives research support from NIH, McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
No other planners, members of the planning committee, speakers, presenters, authors, content reviewers and/or anyone else in a position to control the content of this education activity have relevant financial relationships to disclose.
Disclaimer Statement
The information presented at this CME program represents the views and opinions of the individual presenters, and does not constitute the opinion or endorsement of, or promotion by, the UPMC Center for Continuing Education in the Health Sciences, UPMC / University of Pittsburgh Medical Center or Affiliates and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Reasonable efforts have been taken intending for educational subject matter to be presented in a balanced, unbiased fashion and in compliance with regulatory requirements. However, each program attendee must always use his/her own personal and professional judgment when considering further application of this information, particularly as it may relate to patient diagnostic or treatment decisions including, without limitation, FDA-approved uses and any off-label uses.
In support of improving patient care, the University of Pittsburgh is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
The maximum number of hours awarded for this Continuing Nursing Education activity is 1.0 contact hours.
Other health care professionals will receive a certificate of attendance confirming the number of contact hours commensurate with the extent of participation in this activity.
All presenters disclosure of relevant financial relationships with any entity producing, marketing, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services, used on, or consumed by, patients is listed above. No other planners, members of the planning committee, speakers, presenters, authors, content reviewers and/or anyone else in a position to control the content of this education activity have relevant financial relationships to disclose.
Available Credit
- 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
- 1.00 ANCCUPMC Provider Unit is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation
- 1.00 Attendance