Implicit Bias

This example highlights our unconscious thoughts and associations. Our personal and societal experiences will shape these associations. These associations will also change over time as we gain more information and experiences. If you have dogs, you may have pictured a dog with the word “animal”, or if you live in an area with lots of pine trees you might have pictured that with the word “tree.”

These automatic associations are not necessarily bad.  Our brain automatically makes these associations in a way to categorize all the information we are constantly receiving.  If our brain did not make these connections, then our brains would easily get overwhelmed constantly trying to make sense of everything.  This automatic response is also often referred to as an implicit bias – a bias or prejudice that is present but not consciously held or recognized.  This implicit bias is an issue when it causes us to stereotype individuals, or causes us to avoid certain people, places, or situations.

It is important to understand that everyone has an implicit bias, and it is implicit because we are not conscious of this bias. Implicit biases begin early and are shaped by the direct and indirect influences around you. A lot of times a bias can be completely opposite of your conscious thought. You may strongly believe that anyone can play any sport professionally, yet your unconscious thought is that professional basketball players are Black males.

Watch this short clip from the movie Zootopia.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with Zootopia the movie is about Judy, a rabbit, who dreams of becoming a cop and moving to the city of Zootopia.  Once there she befriends a fox named Nick.  While she would consider him a friend, watch her reaction when referring to foxes and other predators, in general.

Implicit biases can cause people to participate in discriminatory practices or create a lack of trust between what a person in authority “should” look like, versus what they are.  An implicit bias is a more accurate prediction of our behaviors and reactions than our conscious values.