An experimental neuroimaging study in Poland found that exposure to hate speech diminishes the brain’s response to stories about other people suffering. The effect was present irrespective of the group membership of the person suffering in the story – whether they were Polish, like the participants, or Arab. The study was published in Scientific Reports.
Hate speech is a form of communication that involves the expression of discriminatory, hostile, or prejudiced sentiments and ideas directed towards individuals or groups based on their race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or other characteristics.
Exposure to hate speech deteriorates neurocognitive mechanisms of the ability to understand others’ pain, was authored by Agnieszka Pluta, Joanna Mazurek, Jakub Wojciechowski, Tomasz Wolak, Wiktor Soral, and Michał Bilewicz.
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