Detecting Accurate Emotions in Faces

Anger race bias is the tendency to misidentify expressions of emotion, specifically anger, in Black or racially ambiguous faces that are fearful or neutral (Hutchings & Haddock, 2008). Anger is often associated with aggression (Murphy et al., 2005). Therefore, the inaccurate perception of anger and threat may lead to an inappropriate response and could increase the likelihood that a police officer will shoot at a suspect (Correll et al., 2007). From 2015 to 2020, police officers shot and killed over 100 unarmed Black males (Washington Post, 2020). This study examined if anger race bias could be reduced through emotion identification training. Faces from the Chicago Face Database were used to train participants on the emotions of neutrality, fear, and anger. Participants identified emotions on a series of Black, White, LatinX, and Asian faces on pre-and post-test measures. Two weeks following the post-test, participants were invited to complete a follow-up test to determine their retention of the training. We found that the experimental group accurately identified more facial expressions on average than the control group. These preliminary results demonstrate feasibility in developing emotion recognition trainings to decrease anger race bias with the potential to be helpful in police settings

Detecting Accurate Emotions in Faces

Anger race bias is the tendency to misidentify expressions of emotion, specifically anger, in Black or racially ambiguous faces (Hutchings & Haddock, 2008). Hutchings & Haddock (2008) found that Black faces are more likely to be perceived as angry by people high in implicit bias. Since January 1st, 2015, 119 unarmed Black males have been shot and killed by police (Washington Post, 2020). When police officers perceive a threat, they are more likely to shoot, and mistaking expressions such as fear for anger causes the perception of increased threat that can lead to inaccurate responses such as excessive force (Correll et al., 2010). Accurate perception of emotion, therefore, is necessary in order to react correctly. The purpose of this study was to investigate if anger race bias could be reduced through emotion identification training. The current study used photos of faces from the Chicago Face Database to train participants on the emotions of neutral, fear, and anger. Participants identified emotions on a series of Black, White, LatinX, and Asian faces on pre-and post-test measures. Two weeks following the post-test, participants were invited to complete a follow-up test to determine their retention of the training. We found that participants who were in the experimental group accurately identified more facial expressions on average, than participants in the control group. This shows that there is feasibility in developing emotion recognition trainings to be implemented in police settings to potentially decrease anger race bias

Does Emotion Training Reduce Implicit Racial Bias?

USU junior Marisa and senior Emma are Utah natives studying psychology. Both are Honors students and the team is leading this project through a student grant they received. Some people mistakenly perceive Black people as being angry when they are actually showing neutral or fearful expressions, which puts Black individuals at higher risk in police interactions. Marisa and Emma have been developing and testing trainings on emotion recognition to challenge this implicit bias, which they hope will be implemented in police forces in the future. The two see undergraduate research as a way to help other people. While they agree that this project has enhanced their educational experience, both students care more that their work will benefit their community

Exploring Medical Marijuana Knowledge and Perceptions among a Community-Based Sample

Exploring Medical Marijuana Knowledge and Perceptions among a Community-Based Sample Abstract Background: The increasing number of states legalizing marijuana suggests that a growing majority of adults now see marijuana as offering more benefits than risks. As use increases, the need to better understand user characteristics and the nature of their beliefs also increases. Purpose: This exploratory study investigates the knowledge and perceptions of medical marijuana among community-based individuals. We theorize that demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, social network, health status, and knowledge about marijuana are associated with the number of conditions the person believes marijuana treats. Methods: The study utilizes a convenience sample, a non-probability technique of individuals attending a local festival (n = 141). The dependent variable for this study is a count of the number of conditions participants believe medical marijuana may be used to treat. The study includes three measures of demographics and two measures of SES. The remaining measures, social network, health status, and marijuana knowledge were operationalized using proxy measures. The data were analyzed using OLS regression. Results: Most respondents (81%) were Black/African American, 77% were females, 38% were 41 years or older, 53% had a salary greater than $30,000, and 87% had private insurance. The regression shows that having private insurance and higher perceived health status are negatively associated with the dependent variable. Having more comorbidities, better perceived mental health, knowing that marijuana may be obtained from a dispensary, and agreeing with its use have a positive association with the dependent variable. Discussion: Knowledge and beliefs about medical marijuana vary by user demographic. While some of the beliefs are accurate, some individuals are more willing to believe in the efficacy of medical marijuana solely based on anecdotal reports. Consumers of lower SES could benefit from targeted educational messages and access to medical-grade cannabis

Kansas Speaks Fall 2023 Statewide Public Opinion Survey

The 2023 Kansas Speaks fall survey was conducted from September 20 to October 10, 2023. A panel of 485 adult residents of Kansas age 18 and older were surveyed online to assess their attitudes and opinions regarding various issues of interest to Kansas citizens

Observed Racial Socialization and Maternal Positive Emotions in African American Mother-Adolescent Dyadic Discussions about Racial Discrimination

This study examined patterns of: (1) racial socialization messages in dyadic discussions between 111 African American mothers and adolescents (M age = 15.50) and (2) mothers’ positive emotions displayed during the discussion. Mothers gave more total racial socialization responses to a hypothetical dilemma involving potential mistreatment by a White teacher than a dilemma involving rude treatment by a White salesperson. Mothers displayed more advocacy on behalf of their adolescents in response to the teacher dilemma than to the salesperson dilemma. Mothers displayed consistent emotional support of adolescents’ problem solving across both dilemmas but lower warmth in response to the salesperson dilemma. The role of adolescent gender in mothers’ observed racial socialization responses is also discussed

Microbial-Induced Heterogeneity in the Acoustic Properties of Porous Media

It is not known how biofilms affect seismic wave propagation in porous media. Such knowledge is critical for assessing the utility of seismic techniques for imaging biofilm development and their effects in field settings. Acoustic wave data were acquired over a two-dimensional region of a microbial-stimulated sand column and an unstimulated sand column. The acoustic signals from the unstimulated column were relatively uniform over the 2D scan region. The data from the microbial-stimulated column exhibited a high degree of spatial heterogeneity in the acoustic wave amplitude, with some regions exhibiting significant increases in attenuation while others exhibited decreases. Environmental scanning electron microscopy showed differences in the structure of the biofilm between regions of increased and decreased acoustic wave amplitude. We conclude from these observations that variations in microbial growth and biofilm structure cause heterogeneity in the elastic properties of porous media with implications for the validation of bioclogging models