I chose to take the Race Implicit Association Test which indicated that I have a slight preference for European Americans over African Americans. I was surprised by the results because I don’t feel more or less affection towards any race. This tests measures associations between concepts and finds that people respond quicker to items that share the same button that are more closely related to their mind. I am clearly participating in implicit bias because my mind is making connotations based on certain words presented on the test that are based on inaccurate information or stereotypes. This is concerning because according to the Kirwan Institute For the Study of Race and Ethnicity I could be making decisions that impact others due to my perceptions. 1 Implicit bias could impact the reliability or validity of a selection process because I could choose to hire someone with a European American background because I associate the word good more closely to them than with someone with an African American background. This mentality creates a barrier to any African American applying for employment because they are automatically disadvantaged and less preferred due to implicit bias.
Individuals can only work to correct for sources of bias that they are aware exist
According to the National Center for States court, the first step to prevent implicit bias is to know that they exist. “Individuals can only work to correct for sources of bias that they are aware exist.” 2 However, this isn’t enough to correct implicit bias, one must also seek training on implicit bias and participate in group exercises for experiential learning techniques. Another great way to counter implicit bias is to articulate your reasoning process, this can be done by writing your opinion so that others can understand your decision and thought process.
References
- Implicit Bias Module Series. Kirwan Institute For the Study of Race and Ethincity. The Ohio State University. 2018. Retrieved from: https://kirwaninstitute.osu.edu/implicit-bias-training
- National Center for State Courts. Helping Courts Address Implicit Bias. Strategies to Reduce the Influence of Implicit Bias. 2012. Retrieved from: http://horsley.yale.edu/sites/default/files/files/IB_Strategies_033012.pdf
