After completing this topic, you should be able to
[Topic: Unconscious Bias. Kim and Ken are talking. Both are holding resumes.] Kim: Finally, that was the last of them. Not a bad bunch of applicants, overall. I was especially impressed by that guy, Robert.
(DISMISSIVE) Ken: Seriously?
Kim: Yeah, what's wrong with him? He seemed just about perfect. He's got the skills…the experience…the education. What's not to like? [Ken is not convinced.]
Ken: Uhhh, did you hear him talk? (EXAGGERATEDLY SLOW) I…think…I…would…be…a…good…fit…with…your…team… (NORMAL VOICE AGAIN) Slow talking means slow thinking. We need somebody who can keep up. This guy can barely keep awake.
Kim: I completely disagree. His responses were on target, and he struck me as pretty sharp. One man's "slow" is another man's "thoughtful and considered." I'm that other man.
Ken: Maybe, but Mary…now she really impressed me.
(SURPRISED) Kim: Really? She seemed unfocused...I couldn't follow her answers at all. Plus, she doesn't have the experience we need. [Ken is stunned.]
Ken: But she's a U of C woman. [Kim frowns.] She can learn anything and do it standing on her head.
(DUBIOUS) Kim: Graduating from your alma mater isn't one of our hiring criteria.
(UNDETERRED) Ken: Maybe it should be. Seriously, she'll crush it.
Kim: Seriously, she'd be in way over her head here.
HOST: An unconscious, or "implicit" or "hidden" bias is a social stereotype that a person holds outside of their own conscious awareness. These stereotypes are influenced by both personal experience and cultural forces, and may in fact be at odds with a person's conscious values. But because they are both deeply ingrained and automatic, they can influence a person's behavior.
Everyone holds unconscious beliefs about various social and identity groups. According to substantial research conducted over the past several decades, we know that unconscious biases begin to develop in childhood. The discriminatory impact of unconscious bias has been shown in numerous fields such as criminal justice, healthcare, education, and corporate hiring practices. For instance, in a study conducted in the US and reported in the American Economic Review, fictitious resumes with Caucasian sounding names that were submitted to newspaper job advertisements were 50% more likely to receive callbacks for interviews compared to similar resumes with African-American sounding names. In another study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, university science faculty rated male applicants for a laboratory position as significantly better suited for the role over female applicants.
Fortunately, unconscious biases can be overcome. The most important factor is awareness: that is, recognizing that you may have unconscious biases that impact your behavior, and taking steps to adjust the automatic patterns of thinking that can allow these biases to influence your decisions. Doing so will help promote a workplace that is based on mutual respect and appreciation for the diversity of our colleagues.
Next, you can practice what you've learned by answering a question.
Which of the following statements is true?
Options:
Option 1: Correct. Through an understanding of how unconscious bias operates and self-awareness, individuals can reduce the influence such biases have on their behaviors.
Option 2: Incorrect. Actually, through an understanding of how unconscious bias operates and self-awareness, individuals can reduce the influence such biases have on their behaviors.
Option 3: Incorrect. Substantial research has shown that unconscious bias remains a significant force in corporate hiring practices.
Option 4: Incorrect. Quite the opposite – unconscious bias most often operates in a way that is in conflict with a person's conscious values.
Correct answer(s):
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