I find it fascinating but not surprising that the students fell so easily in to the experiment. There was name calling, discriminatory behavior, anger, and many hurt feelings displayed in the classroom. I noticed that the following basis were blatantly displayed in the classroom: Ascription of Intelligence, Criminality, and Second Class Citizen. We are a species that craves acceptance and belonging. It makes me think of the Stanford Prison Experiment or the Third Wave Experiment and how easily we are influenced when a person we deem as trustworthy says that something is alright. I hope that if I were to be put in a similar position that I would make different choices.
I have seen this before; this time the difference is I had to force myself to watch and not immediately make it about me - the defensive "I would never do that" response that Robin DiAngelo talks about in her book. Maybe my defensiveness was more apparent to me because I had just completed the IAT modules. Anyway, it's interesting to be more aware of that reaction and catch it and understand what it feels like physically to have that defensive response.