Recent fMRI neuroscience studies demonstrate that people use different areas of the brain when reasoning about familiar and unfamiliar situations.
The neural zones that respond to stereotypes primarily include the amygdala, the prefrontal cortex, the posterior cingulate and the anterior temporal cortex, and that they are described as all “lighting up like a Christmas tree” when stereotypes are activated (certain parts of the brain become more activated than others during certain tasks). People also use different areas of the brain when reasoning about familiar and unfamiliar situations. When we meet someone new, we are not merely focusing on our verbal interaction.
Research using fMRI has given us an insight into how we respond to biases at a neural level, and how intergroup prejudices activate areas of our brain associated with threat and fear. It has also given us more insight into the way we form in-group favoritism and associations, and how negative out-group biases are even more prominent than in-group empathy. We respond more strongly to negative news and information than to positive stimuli.