The Subtle Transmission of Race Bias via Televised Nonverbal Behavior

Silent Hate A great deal of information can be communicated nonverbally. Weisbuch et al. (p. 1711; see the Perspective by Dovidio) have used experimental, archival, and survey studies to find that the nonverbal communication of racial bias in popular television shows perpetuates implicit racism in viewers. A subsequent field data analysis yielded a correlation between U.S. viewer ratings and a Federal Bureau of Investigation tally of anti-black hate crimes in the same localities. Nonverbal behaviors can contribute to implicit bias in intergroup attitudes. Compared with more explicit racial slurs and statements, biased facial expressions and body language may resist conscious identification and thus produce a hidden social influence. In four studies, we show that race biases can be subtly transmitted via televised nonverbal behavior. Characters on 11 popular television shows exhibited more negative nonverbal behavior toward black than toward status-matched white characters. Critically, exposure to prowhite (versus problack) nonverbal bias increased viewers’ bias even though patterns of nonverbal behavior could not be consciously reported. These findings suggest that hidden patterns of televised nonverbal behavior influence bias among viewers.