December EDI Corner - Disrupting Unconscious Bias
Unconscious bias (also called implicit bias) is a negative attitude or social stereotype about a social group that we are not consciously aware of.1,2 If left unchecked, unconscious biases we all carry from past experiences (e.g., culture, environment, caregivers, media) can negatively influence our decision-making, our interactions with others, and our ability to create a welcoming environment, even when we have the best intentions. Actively disrupting unconscious biases by building awareness and taking action can help align our behaviors with our values to create a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive environment for everyone.
There are evidence-based approaches to reduce unconscious bias. Project Implicit offers resources to become aware of biases and the Kirwan Institute at The Ohio State University provides a self-guided training program. The Perception Institute has compiled strategies to reduce implicit bias in education and healthcare, and some of these are described below:
- Improve decision-making conditions: When making important decisions, slow down thinking or pause to prevent implicit biases from determining behaviors.
- Counter-stereotypic imaging: Broaden the definition of a successful other beyond traditional stereotypes and expectations, e.g., Latine astronaut.
- Stereotype replacement: Recognize when a thought is based on stereotypes, label the thought as stereotypic, and reflect on why the thought occurred. Then, replace the stereotypical thought with a non-stereotypical one.
- Perspective taking: Seeing oneself as part of a stereotyped group can lead to a greater sense of connection to that group.
- Increasing opportunities for contact: More frequent interactions among people from different backgrounds increase feelings of connection and reduces prejudices, e.g., expand inner circles.
- Individuation: Obtaining specific information about each member to avoid making generalizations about a group.
- Doubt objectivity: Learning about non-conscious thought processes leads to skepticism of objectivity and better guarding against biased evaluations.
- Count: Use data to identify patterns leading to unequal outcomes (e.g., racial disparities) and consider if bias plays a role.
- American Psychological Association. November 2022. Implicit Bias. https://www.apa.org/topics/implicit-bias
- University of San Francisco Office of Diversity and Outreach. n.d. Unconscious Bias Training. https://diversity.ucsf.edu/programs-resources/training/unconscious-bias-training
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