Introduction: Are You Racist? (01:28)

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New science can detect racial bias. Host Yassmin Abdel-Magied and four volunteers participate in a social experiment to test how effectively we can unmask and decrease prejudice.

Measuring Racism (02:39)

Actors reenact the slaying of Amadou Diallo in1999. Plain-clothes officers fired 41 shots at the 23-year-old immigrant as he reached for his wallet, leading to demonstrations and widespread discussion of unconscious bias. Abdel-Magied wants to test bias in a scientific way.

Symbolic Racism Scale (04:31)

Abdel-Magied briefs four people who volunteered to be tested for bias. Nick decries the “invasion” of immigrants coming to Australia. Shakira describes the country’s subtle racism. Ibrahim hails from the Congo and Silvie from South Korea; both say they experience racism.

Race Face Effect (04:58)

Experts classify one's race as his or her ingroup and other races as outgroups. Kim Curby tests how race influences facial recognition; it forces Abdel-Magied to confront unconscious bias.

Hostile Expression Test (02:47)

Eye-tracking technology reveals a disparity between how much we focus on the eyes of people in our ingroup versus our outgroup. Fiona Barlow tests how race impacts the perception of anger.

Racial Empathy Gap (05:02)

Pascal Molenberghs tests how the group’s flinch responses vary based on the color of a hand being pierced by a needle. Nick shows the least empathy; he shares views on the superiority of western culture.

Implicit-Association Test (04:25)

Group members identify words they associate with a series of black and white faces. More than 2 million people have taken the test online; 75% of Caucasians and Asians show a bias in favor of white people. Shakira has an emotional response.

Emotional Conversation (02:22)

Abdel-Magied leads a discussion about issues raised by the implicit-association test. Nick denies white privilege exists, asserting that indigenous Australians receive preferential treatment. He offends Silvie with his beliefs about Asian-Australians.

Shooter Task (02:00)

Barlow and Luke Dawson test how likely participants are to shoot unarmed targets based on race. Given a split second to determine whether peers are holding a gun or a wallet, everyone shows bias against outgroups.

Ambiguous Situations Task and Doll Test (07:22)

Matti Wilks asks children about pictures that depict events involving people of different races. She then asks them to pick the best dolls that represent various races. From about age six, kids are more likely to attribute negative intent or attributes to people of color.

Rubber Hand Illusion (03:27)

Group members focus on a fake hand, representing their outgroup, while Barlow strokes their real hand with a brush. Barlow strikes the fake hand with a hammer to prompt a response.

Cross-Group Friendship (02:46)

Science reveals the best way to tackle prejudice is to develop a close relationship with someone of a different race. Nick is vulnerable when discussing his beliefs. Abdel-Magied describes the neuroscience of racial bias.

Reading Faces (03:30)

Empathy is the antidote to prejudice. The more we relate to what others are feeling, the less racist we are toward them. Liz Corbett discusses microexpressions and how they betray hidden feelings.

Fast Friends Task (03:06)

On the final day of the experiment, group members ask each other increasingly intimate questions. The exercise builds empathy; Nick and Shakira exchange a hug.

Overcoming Prejudice (03:21)

Volunteers discuss how their thinking has changed as a result of the racial bias experiment.

Credits: Are You Racist? (00:32)

Credits: Are You Racist?