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Beta-blockers cure racism

Interesting.
It's a wonder propranolol isn't more widely used.
In addition to reducing blood pressure, actors use it for stage fright, and it also blocks development of PTSD when given after a traumatic event.
 
Seems kind of plausible. Control group sees other race -----> Control group gets nervous, signs include heart racing, etc. -------> Control group validates anxious feelings with prejudice.

Tests group skips the second step. Without emotional reaction, less to get in the way of reasoning skills?
 
DrZoidberg said:
Ie, racism as a medical condition. Thoughts on this?
Click to expand...
Someone else i know is convinced that alcohol causes racism.
My observation is that the racism remains level, but drunks are more likely to express it. And more loudly.

I wonder if the drug reduces racism or reduces the likelihood of acting on the racism? I also wonder if we've discovered Bizarro bourbon.
 
seyorni said:
Interesting.
It's a wonder propranolol isn't more widely used.
In addition to reducing blood pressure, actors use it for stage fright, and it also blocks development of PTSD when given after a traumatic event.
Click to expand...

Because you don't simply suddenly stop with beta blockers--the rebound is dangerous. They must be tapered off. No matter how benign the drug itself a drug that can kill you if you suddenly quit isn't something to use without good reason.
 
Yeah, you should taper off if you've been taking it daily for a long time, but we're talking about just a few doses after a traumatic event, or single, 20 - 40 mg tablet for performance anxiety or to help a racist ease into an integrated situation without freaking out.
 
Keith&Co. said:
I wonder if the drug reduces racism or reduces the likelihood of acting on the racism? I also wonder if we've discovered Bizarro bourbon.
Click to expand...

It reduces scores on the racial implicit association test (IAT). It probably does that by suppressing emotional responses to stimuli.
 
DrZoidberg said:
Thoughts on this?
Click to expand...
There are studies showing the virtues of circumcision, of virginity until marriage, of keeping kosher and so on. There were studies showing how Jews, or the Irish, or any other population are at a subhuman level of intelligence. Learned people wrote tractates in the past about how atheists are mentally challenged (sometimes they did this in an argument saying they aren't actually evil, just insane; hence the death penalty for atheists was replaced with lifetime institutionalization in the 18th century). It's a recurring theme when someone needs reassurance without having to engage the opposition.
 
Keith&Co. said:
I wonder if the drug reduces racism or reduces the likelihood of acting on the racism?
Click to expand...
It sounds like both are true in a way. Racism is a conditioned response.

An image or situation triggers an event in the brain, which triggers a thought/behavioral reaction, which is interpreted by habituated rationalizing based on racist conditioning.

Drug interrupts the process and the conditioned response just doesn't happen. Prefrontal cortex is free to do its thing without being overridden by the emotional programming.
 
Barbarian said:
DrZoidberg said:
Thoughts on this?
Click to expand...
There are studies showing the virtues of circumcision, of virginity until marriage, of keeping kosher and so on. There were studies showing how Jews, or the Irish, or any other population are at a subhuman level of intelligence. Learned people wrote tractates in the past about how atheists are mentally challenged (sometimes they did this in an argument saying they aren't actually evil, just insane; hence the death penalty for atheists was replaced with lifetime institutionalization in the 18th century). It's a recurring theme when someone needs reassurance without having to engage the opposition.
Click to expand...

Maybe the scientific method was not applied to full modern rigour on this? Maybe

- - - Updated - - -

Keith&Co. said:
DrZoidberg said:
Ie, racism as a medical condition. Thoughts on this?
Click to expand...
Someone else i know is convinced that alcohol causes racism.
My observation is that the racism remains level, but drunks are more likely to express it. And more loudly.

I wonder if the drug reduces racism or reduces the likelihood of acting on the racism? I also wonder if we've discovered Bizarro bourbon.
Click to expand...

It could be that beta blockers don't cause racism. They just prevent racist ideas to surface? Which I think is more likely.
 
The degree of threat perception is partly mediated by catecholamines like epinephrine and norepinephrine. Beta blockers block these hormones, reducing their physical and psychological effects.
 
seyorni said:
The degree of threat perception is partly mediated by catecholamines like epinephrine and norepinephrine. Beta blockers block these hormones, reducing their physical and psychological effects.
Click to expand...

Propranolol also crosses the blood brain barrier, which most beta blockers do not.

And sure, racism is most likely based on fear and the sympathetic nervous system which is what beta blockers block.
 
DrZoidberg said:
Here's a study where beta-blockers were admitted to a test group and ended up being a lot less racist than the control group.

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00213-012-2657-5#page-1

Ie, racism as a medical condition. Thoughts on this?
Click to expand...

They finally have medication for that condition conservolibertarians have. That's great news, but taking the medication would require them to recognize what the problem is. Unfortunately, their level of self-denial prevents this.
 
Underseer said:
DrZoidberg said:
Here's a study where beta-blockers were admitted to a test group and ended up being a lot less racist than the control group.

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00213-012-2657-5#page-1

Ie, racism as a medical condition. Thoughts on this?
Click to expand...

They finally have medication for that condition conservolibertarians have. That's great news, but taking the medication would require them to recognize what the problem is. Unfortunately, their level of self-denial prevents this.
Click to expand...

Yeah freedom from thought. Damn alcoholic conservolibertarians .......
 
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