Homophobia 'Hard-Wired' Into Brain Study Claims

[davidinalameda]

http://www.365gay.com/newscon05/05/052605prejudice.htm

Prejudice is a form of "common sense", hard-wired into the human brain through evolution as an adaptive response to protect our prehistoric ancestors from danger, according to a new study by researchers at Arizona State University.

"By nature, people are group-living animals -- a strategy that enhances individual survival and leads to what we might call a 'tribal psychology'," says Steven Neuberg, ASU professor of social psychology, who authored the study with doctoral student Catherine Cottrell.

"It was adaptive for our ancestors to be attuned to those outside the group who posed threats such as to physical security, health or economic resources, and to respond to these different kinds of threats in ways tailored to have a good chance of reducing them."

[aeolian]

1. ...and they explain Sparta how?

[Hand]

10. DINGDINGDING! You got it!

Or, say, Alexander the Great... :toast: :rofl:

[MadAsHellNewYorker]

2. Hagel would have a field day with this!

The master slave relationship comes form othering those who appear "different" from you, who challange your own vision of reality. To say that "othering" is hardwired gives free-reign to all the bigots and racists to do whatever they want. common-sense my ass

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

3. well using the same criteria for this study, ignorance is hardwired

into the human brain until you teach it something...this is a "tell you nothing" study.

[davidinalameda]

12. if ignorance is equal to lack of knowledge

then yes, you're right

actually, the study is fairly interesting

if you think about it, why are people bigots

it can be seen as a inborn reaction that link situations to groups

for example, you meet someone that you don't like because of whatever reason. you transfer your dislike to people who seem similar to that person, whether it be race, religion, etc

there are plenty of people on here that lump anyone who professes a religious faith with the Falwells and Dobsons

it doesn't even have to be your personal experience but can be passed from someone that has influenced you

kids frequently learn prejudices from friends, parents, teachers, etc


and I do wonder why this is so common--I would say that the vast majority of the people that I've met in my life share this trait

of course, my experiences can't be seen as scientific evidence that this theory is correct but I would tend to accept it

[OneBlueSky]

4. and the crucial question becomes . . .

who funded the study? . . . betcha that would explain a lot . . .

[SteppingRazor]

5. I've read this "hardwired" thing plenty of times before...

to justify all sorts of sleazy behavior. Apparently, the human brain completely stopped evolving several hundred thousand years ago and cannot change ever again.
Also, apparently we must respond to this time-frozen brain without any of the conscious decisions that make us human (in other words, even if such a "hardwired homophobia" hadn't been unlearned over the last several thousand years as homosexuality was no longer this caveman survival threat, is this saying we as human beings cannot choose to ignore internal or external stimuli? How laughable.)

[jobycom]

6. The study does NOT say what the title claims it does

The study only argues that certain reactions to types of threats are hardwired in our brains, and that people who believe that homosexuality is a threat are predisposed to react a certain way to that threat.

It does NOT say that homophobia is hard wired, and in fact, the final paragraph points out that the threats are culturally motivated.

To shorten it, prejudices of different types are a natural human reaction, but what we are prejudiced against is taught to us.

The person who wrote the title to the article should be spanked, hard. (The OP didn't make the title, that was on the article already.)

[Kurovski]

9. Exactly. This is nothing new.

People who lust deeply for power and are overtaken with greed have always relied on these hard-wired reactions by directing groups in one direction or another.

Whether it's Hitler's Germany promoting hatred for a long list of "outsiders" set apart from the "mainstream", or someone at work who wants your job and uses the tactic of "divide and conquer" to get rid of you by rousing prejudice against you, it is this response at play.

Civilization is a long lesson in how to come to grips with animal survival response.

Granted, some may use this study as an excuse, but it isn't, that would be the survival-bent part of the brain responding.

Pretending such a mechanism doesn't exist is not helpful.

[BlueEyedSon]

7. Homosexuality=hardwired, homophobia=hardwired. Guess that's why

we have LAWS.

Let's make ones that protect people's rights (hatred may be one, but violence and denying rights to others ain't) and enforce them!

[benburch]

8. So... My desire to flay the skin off Neocons and then salt the raw flesh

... is "hardwired" and I don't have to apologize for it?

COOL!

[applegrove]

11. Yes! Tis true. When you are three years old you automatically

see 'others' as 'others'. 'Others' being people who you do not automatically associate as like your family. Then the parents teach you to get over that. When you are 3 years old.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

13. clearly they are wrong as many people arent homophobic

and if it was so hardwired we wouldnt find a single straight person who supports gay rights and i know many who do.

[FaerieWizard]

14. The problem with this study is . . .

that it is almost impossible (okay impossible) to prove a way of thinking "evolved."

Evolution requires variation, and one of those variants had to be more advantageous than the others to have been selected, thus evolution accrues.

There is no way in hell you can prove any kind of prejudice was adaptive to our survival because you can't get into prehistoric man's head. This is a theory which can't be proven or disproven, thus not really good science

I know I know, too much geeky information :)

The FaerieWizard

[NMMNG]

15. Ah geez

Take a course in developmental psychology and you'll learn that the typical human goes through a phase of "stranger anxiety" starting around 6-9 months of age. This is when they become very attuned to people who are unfamiliar to them, and will respond to such people with apprehension and even crying. This period will typically last for a few months and then fade away naturally (abnormal conditions like excessive shyness/social anxiety notwithstanding).

Homophobia and other bigotries are taught to people.