Author: Thor Benson

We may have pushed desegregation in our laws, but it's clear many white Democrats still haven't fully embraced a desegregated society in their minds. Six scholars explain why.

Trump has made white racial resentment more visible than it was before, but at the same time, white liberals have become much more attuned to racism — seeing more of it not necessarily because the world has changed but because their own attitudes toward longstanding features of it have changed.

The exact implications of this for short-term electoral politics are dicey — older, more rural, less educated whites who are relatively untouched by the Awokening exert disproportionate influence in the political system. But the fundamental reality is that the Awokening has inspired a large minority of white Americans to begin regarding systemic racial discrimination as a fundamental problem in American life — opening up the prospects of sweeping policy change when the newly invigorated anti-racist coalition does come to power.

Why do we step around the homeless person without giving him a second thought? Or ignore appeals to assist refugees, or victims of natural disasters?

New research offers a surprising answer: Empathizing with others takes effort, and, generally speaking, we'd rather not expend the energy.

Author: Tom Jacobs

In the journal Personality and Individual Differences, West and Eaton provide evidence that the Dunning-Kruger Effect also applies to one's ability to remain impartial. They find that the most prejudiced people are also the most likely to underestimate how biased they are.

Author: Morgan Marietta Ph.D.

Many scholars have argued that conservatives are more rigid, intolerant, and certain. But in regard to factual perceptions, the evidence does not bear this out. Both liberals and conservatives can fall prey to the psychological forces that make perceptions subservient to values.

Author: Rob Henderson

Outrage culture satisfies our urge for social solidarity.

Groups have social incentives to be outraged– expressing anger shows your commitment to the values of your community. And media companies have financial incentives to rile people up– playing on your anger means more clicks and shares.

Rather than allowing momentary outrage to hijack our attention, we can be more thoughtful about which threats to focus on and how to stop them. We long for conflict. But we can be more vigilant about how we satisfy this desire.