After taking the Implicit Association Test (IAT) on European Americans and Asian Americans, my results indicated that I was faster at associating “European Americans” with “Good” and “Asian Americans” with “Bad”. While this was uncomfortable to see, it was also eye-opening. As Vandiver (2023) explains, implicit bias is an unconscious association or stereotype that influences our actions and decisions without us realizing it. Even people who value fairness can still hold automatic preferences formed through socialization and media exposure.
Reflecting on this, I can see how implicit bias could seriously affect the reliability and validity of selection processes. Reliability means being consistent, and validity means measuring what we intend to measure. If hiring managers unknowingly let stereotypes influence their judgments, such as assuming certain groups are more “professional” or “intelligent”, then they are no longer evaluating all candidates the same way. This makes the process inconsistent (less reliable) and unfairly focused on irrelevant traits.
One way to help prevent this is by using structured interviews and blind resume reviews, which reduce the influence of demographic cues. Personally, I can also practice mindfulness and slow down decision-making to question my assumptions before making judgments. As Vandiver notes, awareness is only the first step, breaking bias requires consistent effort, empathy and accountability.
References:
Vandiver, B. J. (2023). Understanding implicit bias—and how to work through it.