Implicit Bias Causes, Effects, and Prevention

Implicit Bias Causes, Effects, and Prevention Theories Cognitive Psychology Print How Does Implicit Bias Influence Behavior? Explanations and Impacts of Unconscious Bias By Kendra Cherry facebook twitter Kendra Cherry, MS, is an author, educational consultant, and speaker focused on helping students learn about psychology. Learn about our editorial policy Kendra Cherry Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on February 08, 2019 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on February 09, 2020 LaylaBird / Getty Images More in Theories Cognitive Psychology Behavioral Psychology Developmental Psychology Personality Psychology Social Psychology Biological Psychology Psychosocial Psychology In This Article Table of Contents Expand Causes Implicit Attitude Test Discrimination Effects Reducing Bias View All Back To Top An implicit bias is an unconscious association, belief, or attitude toward any social group. Due to implicit biases, people may often attribute certain qualities or characteristics to all members of a particular group, a phenomenon known as stereotyping.?? It is important to remember that implicit biases operate almost entirely on an unconscious level. While explicit biases and prejudices are intentional and controllable, implicit biases are less so. A person may even express explicit disapproval of a certain attitude or belief while still harboring similar biases on a more unconscious level. Such biases do not necessarily align with our own sense of self and personal identity. In many cases, people can hold positive or negative associations with regards to their own race, gender, religion, or another personal characteristic. The Psychology Behind Peoples Prejudices Causes While people might like to believe that they are not susceptible to these biases and stereotypes, the reality is that everyone engages in them whether they like it or not. It does not mean that you are necessarily prejudiced or inclined to discriminate against other people, however. It simply means that your brain is working the way it should, taking in information to form associations and make generalizations. It is the natural tendency of the brain to sift, sort, and categorize information about the world that leads to the formation of these implicit biases. Were susceptible to the bias because of this. We tend to seek out patterns. Implicit bias occurs because of the brains natural tendency to look for patterns and associations in the world. Social cognition, or our ability to store, process, and apply information about people in social situations, is dependent on this ability to form associations about the world.We like to take shortcuts. Like other cognitive biases, the implicit bias is a result of the brains tendency to try to simplify the world. Because the brain is constantly inundated with more information than it could conceivably process, mental shortcuts make it faster and easier for the brain to sort through all of this data.Experience and social conditioning play a role. Implicit biases are influenced by experiences, although these attitudes may not be the result of direct personal experience. Cultural conditioning, media portrayals, and upbringing can all contribute to the implicit associations that people form about the members of other social groups. Implicit Attitude Test The term implicit bias was first coined by social psychologists Mahzarin Banaji and Tony Greenwald in 1995. In an influential paper introducing their theory of implicit social cognition, they proposed that social behavior was largely influenced by unconscious associations and judgments. In 1998, Banaji and Greenwald published their now famous Implicit Association Test to support their hypothesis. The test utilizes a computer program to show respondents a series of images and words to determine how long it takes someone to choose between two things. Subjects might be shown images of faces of different racial backgrounds, for example, in conjunction with either a positive word or a negative word. Subjects would then be asked to click on a positive word when they saw an image of someone from one race, and to click on a negative word when they saw someone of another race. The researchers suggest that when someone clicks quickly, it means that they possess a stronger unconscious association.?? If a person quickly clicks on a negative word every time they see a person of a particular race, the researchers suggest that this would indicate that they hold an implicit negative bias toward individuals of that race. In addition to a test of implicit racial attitudes, the IAT has also been utilized to measure unconscious biases related to gender, weight, sexuality, disability, and other areas.?? The IAT has grown in popularity and use over the last decade, yet has recently come under fire. Among the main criticisms are findings that the test results may lack reliability. Respondents may score high on racial bias on one test, and low the next time they are tested. Also of concern is that scores on the test may not necessarily correlate with individual behavior. People may score high for a type of bias on the IAT, but those results may not accurately predict how they would relate to members of a specific social group. Link With Discrimination It is important to understand that implicit bias is not the same thing as racism, although the two concepts are related. Overt racism involves conscious prejudice against members of a particular racial group and can be influenced by both explicit and implicit biases. Other forms of discrimination that can be affected by unconscious biases include ageism, sexism, homophobia, and ableism. One of the benefits of being aware of the potential impact of implicit social biases is that you can take a more active role in overcoming social stereotypes, discrimination, and prejudice. Effects Implicit biases can influence how you behave toward the members of other social groups. Researchers have found that such bias can have effects in a number of settings, including in school, work, and legal proceedings.?? Implicit Biases in School Implicit bias can lead to a phenomenon known as stereotype threat in which people internalize negative stereotypes about themselves based upon group associations. Research has shown, for example, that girls often internalize implicit attitudes related to gender and math performance.?? By the age of 9, girls have been shown to exhibit the unconscious beliefs that females have a preference for language over that of math.?? The stronger these implicit beliefs are, the less likely girls and women are to pursue math performance in school. Such unconscious beliefs are also believed to a play a role in inhibiting women from pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Studies have also demonstrated that implicit attitudes can also influence how teachers respond to student behavior, suggesting that implicit bias can have a powerful impact on educational access and academic achievement. One study, for example, found that black childrenâ€"and black boys in particularâ€"were more likely to be expelled from school for behavioral issues.?? When teachers were told to watch for challenging behaviors, they were more likely to focus on black children than on white children. Implicit Biases in the Workplace While the Implicit Attitude Test itself may possess problems, this does not negate the existence of implicit bias. Or the existence and effects of bias, prejudice, and discrimination in the real world. Such prejudices can have very real and potentially devastating consequences. One study, for example, found that when black and white job seekers sent out similar resumes to employers, black applicants were half as likely to be called in for interviews as white job seekers with equal qualifications.?? Such discrimination is likely the result of both explicit and implicit biases toward racial groups. Even when employers strive to eliminate potential bias in hiring, subtle implicit biases may still have an impact on how people are selected for jobs or promoted to advanced positions.?? Avoiding such biases entirely can be difficult, but being aware of their existence and striving to minimize them can help. Implicit Biases in Legal Settings Implicit biases can have troubling implications in legal proceedings. Research has found that there is an overwhelming racial disparity in how black defendants are treated in criminal sentencing.?? Not only are black defendants less likely to be offered plea bargains than white defendants charged with similar crimes, they are also more likely to receive longer and harsher sentences than white defendants. How to Reduce While implicit biases can have an impact on your behavior, there are things that you can do to reduce your own bias. Focus on seeing people as individuals. Rather than focusing on stereotypes to define people, spend time considering them on a more personal, individual level.Work on consciously changing your stereotypes. If you do recognize that your response to a person might be rooted in biases or stereotypes make an effort to consciously adjust your response.Adjust your perspective. Try seeing things from another persons point of view. How would you respond if you were in their same position? What factors might contribute to how a person acts in a particular setting or situation? A Word From Verywell Implicit biases can be troubling, but they are also a pervasive part of life. Such unconscious attitudes may not necessarily align with your declared beliefs. While people are more likely to hold implicit biases that favor their own ingroup, it is not uncommon for people to hold such biases against their own social group. The good news is that these implicit biases are not set in stone. Even if you do hold unconscious biases against other groups of people, it is possible to adopt new attitudes, even on the unconscious level.?? This process is not necessarily quick or easy, but being aware of the existence of these biases is a good place to start making a change. 10 Cognitive Biases That Distort Your Thinking