African American men are underrepresented among faculty in academic science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM). Implicit racial biases are one factor that may contribute to this underrepresentation. The current study examines whether a videogame can reduce implicit racial bias, inducing players to feel empathy for the game’s protagonist, an African American graduate student named Jamal Davis. Participants in this randomized controlled study either played a game designed to reduce implicit bias (experimental condition) or read a narrative based on the game experience (control condition). In both conditions, the participants are asked to take on the role of Jamal; however, in the game, players actively get to play as this character. Participants’ levels of perspective taking and empathy for Jamal, awareness and experience of bias, and implicit bias towards African Americans were compared to understand whether gameplay can lead to reductions in implicit racial bias.
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