Culture, gender and health care stigma: Practitioners' response to facial masking experienced by people with Parkinson's disease

► This study addressed gaps in research on socio-cultural and multi-dimensional origins of global health care stigma. ► Tested for first time cross-cultural bias due to parkinsonian facial masking in practitioner judgments of patients. ► Compared American and Taiwanese practitioners' judgments of American and Taiwanese men and women patients. ► Found that practitioners are biased by local cultural values and ethnic and gender stereotypes about facial expressivity. ► Documents bias due to health conditions that mimic behavior locally perceived to be indicative of moral character.