http://science-community.sciam.com/blog-entry/Mind-Matters/Harvard-Students-Perceive-Rednecks-Neural/300008563
The jist is that we have a region of the brain dedicated to identifying outsiders. Everything from skin color to what they're wearing to what we've been told about them. It also brings up the concept of mentalizing, that is, imagining what other people think, how they work, etc. Once we see an outsider as having a quality in common with us, we can then begin to think of them as one of us.
PS - Mentions motor neurons
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I wonder how much of this has an effect on PUGs. In GW, people tended to form groups with the "holy trinity"--a warrior (tank), a monk (healer), and an elementalist (nuker). Not often did they look for a mesmer first. I think people were more familiar with bashing, healing, and obliterating, but they were not as familiar with a mesmer's skills. They expected a tank to take aggro, a monk to heal, and an elementalist to rain down fire on enemies. A mesmer's spell effects are subtle compared to other professions, and the effects on enemies are not always immediate, so people didn't know what to expect from them and didn't want to bother.
I'm not sure we should be thinking in terms of seeing someone as one of us, but we might want to think in terms of seeing the qualities in our differences. The article makes a note of that at the end, and thinking more on the differences seems more useful when in the realm of skill-driven MMOs. The holy trinity needs to see that the mesmer can manipulate the enemy and greatly reduce pressure rather than as another version of a tank, healer, or nuker. There are things only a mesmer can do, just as there are things only a warrior, monk, or elementalist can do, and variety in a party can make for a much better experience.
Very interesting. It is advice that has been said forever, but now I guess there is actual proof. I am enjoying all our discussions about the brain and why it works the way it does.
This is very interesting. Maybe it explains the harsh reactions certain groups have received throughout history. Is prejudice just a natural part of our lives? Can we now counteract it? Does this transfer into virtual worlds? Can virtual prejudice even be considered "bad?"
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