**Principal Investigator(s):**
**Ashley Jardina**
Duke University
Email: [ashley.jardina@duke.edu][1]
Home page: [https://sites.duke.edu/ashleyjardina][2]
**Spencer Piston**\
Boston University
Email: s[piston@bu.edu][3]
Home page: [http://www.spencerpiston.com/][4]
**Sample size:** 2045
**Field period**: 11/03/2015-06/17/2016
**Abstract:**
We seek to explain the continuing relevance of biological racism.
**Hypothesis/Research Questions:**
We hypothesize that describing racial health disparities as genetically based increases (1) biological racism; (2) opposition to government efforts to reduce these disparities.
**Experimental Manipulation(s):**
There are three conditions. In two of the conditions, subjects review a (fictitious) news article; in the third, the Control Condition, subjects read nothing. In the Race as Genetics Condition, the news article attributes racial disparities in heart disease to genetic factors. In an additional treatment, the Race as Social Construction Condition, the news article attributes racial disparities to social factors. Next, subjects rate how evolved whites and blacks are, as in previous studies. Finally, subjects are asked whether they support increased government spending on reducing racial health disparities.
**Outcome Variables:**
1. Respondents rate how evolved blacks and whites are on a 0-100 scale.
2. Respondents are asked whether they support increased government spending to reduce racial disparities.
**Summary of Findings:**
Experimental conditions are not statistically associated with the distribution of responses to the outcome variables.
[1]: mailto:ashley.jardina@duke.edu
[2]: https://sites.duke.edu/ashleyjardina
[3]: mailto:piston@bu.edu
[4]: http://www.spencerpiston.com/
