Implicit Bias

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Implicit Bias

Implicit or Hidden Bias refers to attitudes that influence one's decisions in an unconscious way. Everyone holds some forms of unconscious or implicit biases, even those who are openly and deeply committed to equity. The first step in reducing one’s implicit bias is understanding what it is, when it is likely to occur, and how it can affect one’s decision making. In addition to the definitions below are suggested articles and videos that provide more information on implicit bias.

Definitions

Implicit bias: tendency to underrate the credentials of women, candidates of color, people with disabilities, and other members of underrepresented groups
Rater drift: tendency for evaluators’ standards to shift over time, so similar credentials are rated differently
Overemphasis on “fit”: tendency to discount the achievements of people whose methods, topics, or social identities are marginalized in the field
Matthew Effect: tendency of further advantages to be heaped on those who have experienced early advantages, thereby inflating their credentials

Reports & Journal Articles

Reviewing Applicants: Research on Bias and Assumption

Rising Above Cognitive Errors

How Search Committees Can See Bias in Themselves

Videos and Talks

Understanding Bias, PwC (approximately 12 minutes total)

Blind spots: Challenging Assumptions

Blind spots: Broaden Perspective

Blind spots: Overcome Stereotypes

Blind spots: Enhance Objectivity

Standalone videos

Managing Unconscious Bias – Facebook’s internal training program on managing unconscious bias.

Immaculate perceptions – UCLA law professor Jerry Kang exposes the phenomenon of automatic processing and how it relates to explicit and implicit bias.

Modules

Government of Canada Unconscious Bias Training

General Resources

Improper Questions

Resources Regarding Constructing and Training Search Committees

Michigan ADVANCE Handbook

Virginia

North Carolina