Many people perceive young black men to be larger and more physically threatening than similarly sized young white men, finds a study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. In a series of seven experiments, researchers showed more than 950 online participants photographs of white and black male faces. Non-black participants judged the black men to be larger, stronger, more muscular, and more capable of causing physical harm than the white men, even though in reality the men pictured were all equivalent in height and weight. Black participants judged the black men to be larger and more muscular, though to a lesser degree than the white participants, but did not view the black men to be more capable of causing physical harm (Monitor on Psychology, June 2017).

Perception matters and alters one’s reality causing substantial bias and possible harm.

Susie Bean Gives Team