2. Arguments about race Social scientists Race is a social construction. There are no meaningful or important differences between groups that have been called different “races.” Concerns: geneticization and increase in racism (history and attitudinal research) Biological scientists “Ancestry” is not the same thing as race. Accurate understanding of how genes work will prevent racism. Concerns: geneticization and public (mis)understandings of genetics

3. Race, health and genetic variation at the UI What do “regular” UI experts think race is? Are there disciplinary differences? Biological / social science differences? How do professors / T.A.s teach about race in their classrooms? What do students think race is? How do they incorporate, or not, what they hear in UI classrooms about race, genes, health disparities, evolution, behavior etc. into their beliefs about race? Methods Qualitative: 40 interviews with sociologists (9), biologists (8), biological anthropologists (10), psychologists (2), and 5-10 undergraduate seniors from each discipline. Quantitative: Student survey assessing (a) genetic / environmental explanations of physical traits, behaviors, health conditions (b) what happens to these explanations when race is a factor.

4. The Undergraduate Survey GOAL 1: 1.(i) Identify the degree to which students have succumbed to geneticizing trends. How likely are they, in general, to explain a complex trait or behavior with reference to genes, the focus of biology classes, or to the environment, as emphasized by sociology courses, or (more accurately, in the view of experts) to some combination of the two? (ii) What is the effect of knowledge about genetics? Does understanding what genes are, how they function and how they are inherited make a student more or less likely to look to genes when explaining human behavior or group health disparities?

5. The Undergraduate Survey Goal 2 How does race (when associated with a trait or behavior) affect those explanations. Does the race of an individual displaying a particular trait or behavior affect the extent to which students look to the environment or to genetics to account for it? (Research shows association between racism and genetic explanations of group differences)

6. The Undergraduate Survey Goal 3: Does priming students to think of reproduction, family and kinship increase genetic explanations of behavior and / or produce higher measures of racial prejudice?

7. The Undergraduate Survey For each of the traits or behaviors described in the following questions, please indicate what percent you think is due to the genes a person inherits, and what percent is due to learning, experience, income, education and other aspects of the environment. 21 point scale – finer grade choice may help prevent framing genes and environment as mutually exclusive and oppositional.

8. Part 1 List of 18 traits. Physical traits; height, skin color, freckles and birth weight. Complex characteristics; athleticism, intelligence, criminality, drive to succeed, sexual orientation, sexual interest, alcoholism and drug abuse. Health conditions; diabetes, heart disease, lung cancer, sickle-cell anemia, hemophilia, and breast cancer

9. Part 2 – Vignettes – 4 versions Version 1 - Stereotype-challenging A middle-aged white man who gets drunk several times a week and often can't remember what happened during these drinking episodes. A 30 year-old Hispanic woman who is a good all round athlete, was on the high school varsity basketball team at school and still works out several times a week. A highly intelligent black man who did very well in school and is now a partner in a large law firm. An Asian-American woman who dropped out of school at 16, was arrested three times before she was 20 and is now serving time in prison. A 50 year-old white woman who is diagnosed with high blood pressure and at a high risk of suffering a stroke

10. Vignettes: Version 3 -Stereotype set A middle-aged black man who gets drunk several times a week and often can't remember what happened during these drinking episodes A 30 year-old white woman who is a good all round athlete, was on the high school varsity basketball team at school and still works out several times a week. A highly intelligent Asian-American man who did very well in school and is now a partner in a large law firm. A Hispanic woman who dropped out of school at 16, was arrested three times before she was 20 and is now serving time in prison A 50 year-old black woman who is diagnosed with high blood pressure and a high risk of suffering a stroke.

11. Vignettes – 2 Priming Questions Version 2 (stereotype challenging + priming) and Version 4 (stereotype set + priming) Inheritance and kinship Please indicate on the following list who genes are inherited from: Mother, Father, Sister, Brother, Aunt, Uncle, Grandparent, Grandparent’s sister, Grandparent’s brother, Grandparent’s parent. Reproduction and inheritance - Additional Vignette “A white / black woman who had two difficult pregnancies, two premature (early) births and two infants who required intensive medical care after birth.”

12. Part 3 Brief definitions of concepts “a gene,” “ancestry” “evolution” “Social construction” Qualitative: The goal was to probe their understandings of these concepts and to unearth any common misconceptions.

13. Part 4 Demographic Gender Age Race Political affiliation Major Racial attitude question “How comfortable would you be if a close family member married a person who identifies as (white / African-American / Hispanic / Asian-American / Native American)” V. comfortable / somewhat comfortable / somewhat uncomfortable / v. uncomfortable

14. Abstract traits – Part 1 CharacteristicMean ScorePercent due to genes Skin Color3.4987.5 % Height4.7081.5 % Freckles5.5677.5 % Birth Weight8.7161.5 % Athleticism10.1454.5 % Intelligence10.5652.25 % Alcoholism11.6946.5 % Drug Abuse13.1939 % Drive to succeed14.8031 % Criminality16.8321 % Sexual Orientation9.2259 % Sexual Interest13.0539.75 % Sickle Cell Anemia4.6182 % Hemophilia4.6581.75 % Heart Disease8.9860 % Diabetes9.3358.5 % Lung Cancer13.2538.75 % Breast Cancer7.5267.5 % Scores 0 = 100% genetic 6 = 75% genetic 11 = 50% genetic 16 = 25% genetic 21 = 0% genetic

15. Vignettes Alcoholism BEFORE Abstract AFTER -> VERSION 1 White man VERSION 2 VERSION 3 Black man VERSION 4 Cumulative 1+2+3+4 Mean: Variance: SD: N: % students who responded 75% or more genetic 11.69 23.04 4.80 527 23% 15.00 23.85 4.88 122 12% 14.91 22.56 4.75 122 10% 15.28 22.27 4.72 127 10% 14.52 27.43 5.24 137 10% 14.93 24.03 4.89 527 10.5%

16. Alcoholism

17. Athleticism BEFORE Abstract AFTER  VERSION 1 Hispanic woman VERSION 2 VERSION 3 White woman VERSION 4 Cumulative 1+2+3+4 Mean: Variance: SD: N: % students who responded 75% or more genetic 10.14 19.77 4.45 521 31% 13.75 17.29 4.16 122 8% 12.95 24.30 4.93 122 19% 14.20 20.37 4.51 127 9% 13.70 22.83 4.78 137 13% 13.65 12.25%

18. Athleticism

19. Intelligence Intelligence BEFORE Abstract AFTER  VERSION 1 Black man VERSION 2 VERSION 3 As-Am man VERSION 4 Cumulative 1+2+3+4 Mean: Variance: SD: N: % students who responded 75% or more genetic 10.56 19.68 4.44 525 26% 13.69 25.35 5.03 121 15% 12.66 28.26 5.32 121 21% 14.04 25.02 5.00 127 14% 13.50 24.49 4.95 137 16% 13.47 16.5%

20. Intelligence

21. Criminality BEFORE Abstract AFTER  VERSION 1 As-Am woman VERSION 2 VERSION 3 Hispan Woman VERSION 4 Cumulative 1+2+3+4 Mean: Variance: SD: N: % students who responded 75% or more genetic 16.83 15.53 3.94 527 2% 17.15 10.54 3.25 121 1% 16.38 18.24 4.27 121 4% 17.50 13.43 3.66 127 4% 17.26 15.38 3.92 136 6% 17.07 3.75%

22. Criminality

23. Heart Disease Heart Dx BEFORE Abstract AFTER  VERSION 1 VERSION 2 VERSION 3 VERSION 4 Cumulative 1+2+3+4 Mean: Variance: SD: N: % students who responded 75% or more genetic 8.98 17.12 4.14 525 41% 10.25 22.80 4.77 122 32% 9.88 22.14 4.70 121 36% 9.28 20.57 4.54 127 43% 9.20 22.49 4.74 137 47% 9.65 39.5%

24. Heart Dx

25. White – racial attitude Q1

26. Questions for consultants Is the relationship between the vignette question form and the decrease in genetic attributions significant? Control for gender, political affiliation? Difference between vignettes – i.e. effect of race and priming. Is there a trend? What sample size would I need if I was to do this again? Is there a relationship between genetic attributions and genetic knowledge? Is there a relationship between racial discomfort and genetic attributions? Overall? For each version?