Physiological responses to racism and discrimination: An assessment of the evidence

Harrell, Jules P.; Hall, Sadiki; Taliaferro, James

doi:10.2105/ajph.93.2.243

Cited by 517Racial and Ethnic Identity ResearchHealth disparities and outcomesSocial and Intergroup Psychology

Physiological responses to racism and discrimination: An assessment of the evidence

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Harrell, Jules P., Hall, Sadiki, Taliaferro, James·2003·American Journal of Public Health

DOI 10.2105/ajph.93.2.243PMC PMC1447724

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Abstract

A growing body of research explores the impact of encounters with racism or discrimination on physiological activity. Investigators have collected these data in laboratories and in controlled clinical settings. Several but not all of the studies suggest that higher blood pressure levels are associated with the tendency not to recall or report occurrences identified as racist and discriminatory. Investigators have reported that physiological arousal is associated with laboratory analogues of ethnic discrimination and mistreatment. Evidence from survey and laboratory studies suggests that personality variables and cultural orientation moderate the impact of racial discrimination. The neural pathways that mediate these physiological reactions are not known. The evidence supports the notion that direct encounters with discriminatory events contribute to negative health outcomes.

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From Conceptualizing the Differences in the Perception and Internalization of Racism Between Black African Immigrants and African Americans in the United States (2025) · cites this paper as Harrell et al. (2003)

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“This is brilliantly advanced in scholarships such as Blum (2002), Harrell et al. (2003), Read and Emerson (2005), where the authors contend that the sensitivity to racism and racial discrimination varies across different black subgroups in the USA.”

Authors: Harrell, J. P., Hall, S., & Taliaferro, J.
Affiliations: Howard University (US)
Venue: American Journal of Public Health
Publisher: American Public Health Association
Published: 2003-02
Volume: 93
Issue: 2
Pages: 243-248
ISSN: 0090-0036 (ISSN-L)
1541-0048
DOI: 10.2105/ajph.93.2.243
PMC: PMC1447724
OpenAlex: W2118642205
Cited by: 517
References: 40
Citations by year: 2026: 7 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 41 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 29 · 2019: 22 · 2018: 21 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 26 · 2015: 24 · 2014: 25 · 2013: 30 · 2012: 21
FWCI: 66.19
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: green
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Locations: American Journal of Public Health (publishedVersion)
PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Racial and Ethnic Identity Research
Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
Keywords: racism, racial discrimination, physiological responses, blood pressure, physiological arousal, personality moderators, cultural orientation, health outcomes
MeSH terms: Adaptation, Psychological, Blood Pressure, Ethnicity, Evaluation Studies as Topic, Health Status, Heart Rate, Humans, Personality, Prejudice, Psychophysiology, Self Disclosure, Stress, Psychological

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Physiological responses to racism and discrimination: An assessment of the evidence

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