Drugs found to be altering subconscious racial attitudes, study

Drugs found to be altering subconscious racial attitudes, studyAccording to a new study, a heart drug is found to have altered the subconscious racial attitudes.The researchers found that volunteers, who took the drug were less racially biased when compared to those who took a placebo. The findings show that the effects of medicinal drugs should be taken into account while considering racial attitudes.

Researchers said that racism is based on fear and the heart drug used in the study, propranolol helps reduce fear by blocking nerve circuits. The nerve circuits govern the heart rate and that part of the brain that is linked with emotional responses.

Professor Julian Savulescu of Oxford University's Faculty of Philosophy, a co-author of the study said, "Such research raises the tantalising possibility that our unconscious racial attitudes could be modulated by using drugs, a possibility that requires careful ethical analysis."

Professor Savulescu said that biological research studies to alter morality in people are controvercial. He pointed out that Propranolol is not a cure for racism, but as hundreds of thousands are using the drug, its moral side effects should be understood.

The study was published in the Psychopharmacology.