Spontaneous but not effortless pro-black evaluations during first-impression evaluations of faces

Although racist biases create pervasive inequalities and discrimination, some individuals exhibit pro-Black behaviors. These behaviors have been observed in both laboratory and field settings, prompting the need for a deeper understanding of the underlying psychological processes. Various experiments and models have been proposed to explain these counter-stereotypical behaviors, emphasizing their occurrence outside of awareness. However, it is still an open question whether this process requires cognitive control or is implemented without effort. In this paper, we present three studies (total N = 180) on first impressions of competence and threat using highly controlled avatars. Our findings suggest that pro-Black behavior stems from a shift in decision thresholds rather than a change in sensitivity to social cues, which diminishes over time. Thus, our studies provide the first evidence of the effortful nature of pro-minority behavior and the potential recruitment of proactive cognitive control processes.