14- Implicit Bias

What do unconscious biases cause

- associations we harbor in our subconscious cause us to have feelings and attitudes about other people based on characteristics such as race, ethnicity, age, and appearance - we favor people like ourselves (in group)

Are unconscious biases always bad

- can be favorable and unfavorable unconscious assessments

Steps in the change process of implicit bias

- deliberately slow down decision making - reconsider reasons for making decisions - question cultural stereotypes - monitor each other for unconscious bias

Affinity bias in institutional decision making

- favoring people like yourself - recruitment (med school admission) - work allocation (physician referral rate? testing?)

Can you THINK about your unconscious biases?

- not accessible through introspection

How do implicit associations develop

- over the course of a lifetime - beginning early - through exposure to direct and indirect messages - experience is a social filter used to make judgements about the people around us - natural process to put people into social categories based upon appearance - judgements become hard-wired in the brain when appearance of people in professions/job roles are repeated

IMpact of personal affinity

- when positive: more time spent focused on + contributions - little affinity leads to questions about past performance

Five facts about implicit biases

1. Pervasive 2. Implicit and Explicit biases are distinctly different but interrelated 3. do not have to align with stated beliefs 4. Favor our own in-group 5. Malleable: implicit associations can be unlearned

What is implicit bias?

- attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner - unintended people preferences formed through socialization process and based on background, cultural environment, personal experiences, and the media

unconscious bias affects __________________

microbehaviors