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Implicit biases are unconscious beliefs or attitudes that we hold about certain groups of people. These biases are automatic and can influence our feelings, thoughts, behaviors, and actions without us even realizing it. In order words, implicit biases are like hidden beliefs we have about people that we might not even know we have.
For example, someone might have an implicit bias that women are not as good at certain jobs as men such as civil engineering. This means that, without even thinking about it, they might believe that men are better at engineering. This bias can affect how they treat or think about women in engineering fields. Another typical example is race, assuming someone is good or bad at something based on their skin type.
To become more aware of your implicit biases, there are several things you can do:
- Educate yourself: Learning more about different groups of people, their experiences, and the impact of biases that exist in the society. You can do this by reading books, attending workshops on inclusion and diversity, and watching documentaries. Self-reflection: thinking about situations where you might have treated someone differently because of their gender, race, age or other characteristics.
- Expose yourself to diversity: Spending time with people from different backgrounds and experiences. To do this, you can join groups or activities where you can meet diverse individuals and learn from them.
- Self-reflection: Thinking about situations where you might have treated someone differently because of their gender, race, age or other characteristics. Ask yourself questions like ‘’Why do I think this way?’’ Where did this belief come from?’’
- Engage in self-improvement: Actively work on being more open-minded, empathetic, and aware of your own biases. Be open to their observations and consider their perspectives. This might involve having difficult conversations, seeking feedback from others, talk to friends, family or colleagues and ask them if the notice any biases in your behavior, and taking steps to change your behaviors.
- Mindfulness and Pause: Practice being present and pausing before making decisions. When you catch yourself making a quick judgement, stop and think about why you feel that way.
References
Banaji, M. R., & Greenwald, A. G. (2013). Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People. New York: Delacorte Press.
TED Talks: “The real roots of youth violence” by Dr. Martin Brokenleg’’
Greenwald, A. G., & Banaji, M.R. 92017). The implicit revolution: Reconceiving the relation between conscious and unconscious. American Psychologist, 72(9), 861-871. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000273
Thank you for sharing! Invisible bias does exist in our lives. In fact, we are very susceptible to various biases and make wrong judgments. I think your suggestions are very useful. Our biases come from various channels such as social media and racial bias, but we can increase our knowledge through reading and other means. Many biases come from lack of understanding. When our knowledge is broadened, we will be more open to accepting others. In my opinion, self-improvement is necessary and important. It is the basis for us to eliminate bias. On this basis, our reflection will be more meaningful. Especially in a diverse society, understanding and reflection will allow us to integrate into society faster.
Wonderful blog Folake. This blog provides a comprehensive overview of implicit biases, highlighting their unconscious nature and impact on our behavior and perceptions. One has to be more aware of implicit biases is practical and actionable: educating oneself, exposing oneself to diversity, engaging in self-reflection, and practicing mindfulness. This holistic approach encourages one to actively work towards recognizing and mitigating their own biases, fostering a more inclusive and empathetic mindset. Overall, the blog is an insightful and useful guide for anyone looking to address and overcome their implicit biases.
All three of your blogs were on similar topics. I liked how you gave concrete ways, Folake, of changing the inner narrative of our biases to treat people different than us with respect and compassion. Often it is misunderstanding that lead to our biases, and it is necessary to interact with others to change our biases. Awareness of our implicit biases is the first step to recognizing and changing how we connect with others.