I completed the IAT test on skin color. Below is my results:
I went into the test believing I had no bias and preferred both dark-skinned people and light-skinned equally. According to the IAT, I suggest no automatic preferences to either skin tone and I was correct in my assumption on my implicit bias when it comes to skin color. I was thinking about choosing religion, I feel anyone and everyone can have differing religions and mixes of practices so I felt skin color would be the best option for this assignment as it is one of the major bias issues, specifically in the US (1),(2).
I understand how implicit bias can impact the reliability or validity of a selection process. I almost want to compare it with jury duty selections and how people are asked if there are any reasons why they cannot maintain an impartial opinion throughout the entirety of the case. If someone has a bias against a particular group of people, I feel they should not take part in the selection process as that can skew the decisions ultimately made. If anything, hiring processes should include multiple people of differing background, ethnicities, skin colors, etc., to allow for the most unbiased choice possible, but I understand that isn’t much of a possibility considering the amount of people that would have to be present for each interview. As explained in the week 5 – Lecture 4: Improving Interview Effectiveness this week, many interviewers have snap-judgements about the candidate within minutes of meeting the person. Having those differences in background and insight can be beneficial in hiring the correct people and possible reduce the risk of biased decisions being made, thus helping with the reliability and validity of an interview selection process.
(1): Anderson, M. (2023a, April 20). Most Americans say racial bias is a problem in the workplace. can Ai Help?. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/04/20/most-americans-say-racial-bias-is-a-problem-in-the-workplace-can-ai-help/
(2): Noe-Bustamante, L. (2021, November 4). Majority of Latinos say skin color impacts opportunity in America and shapes daily life. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/2021/11/04/majority-of-latinos-say-skin-color-impacts-opportunity-in-america-and-shapes-daily-life/
