A man and his son are taking a ride in the car when they get into a terrible accident. The son is terribly injured with shattered bones. The father is killed. The son is rushed to the hospital in an ambulance, is admitted, and goes into surgery. The surgeon walks in and says, "I can't operate on this young man, he is my son!"
Who is the surgeon? Didn't the young man's father get killed in the car crash? What is going on?
Click here to see the answer.
It is difficult to face, but we all have implicit bias. It is possible, and even probable that you have kept those biases silent within you, even from your own mind. Stereotyping shapes our words, thoughts and actions every day. These biases can have deadly effects in the world.
We all have an intrinsic bias leading us to research things to prove our opinions. We gravitate toward being around like-minded people and have unconscious aversion to people who are not like us. It is vital we become aware of these intrinsic biases to combat them because they are intrinsic. We are most often unaware of them.
Researching how our minds find differences is an effective way to allow for social reform and it is an essential part to finding peace for ourselves and in the world around us.
In her new book Blind Spot, social psychologist Mahzarin Banaji describes the unearthing of her own bias against women - a bias she is consciously unaware of but that sneaks up on her in unexpected places. Blind Spot challenges our assumptions that we are assessing others without racism, sexism, etc. It also brings our awareness to the fact that we may not know what we are truly thinking. Banaji's work especially highlights that we can be biased against ourselves and not be aware of it.
You can become more aware of your biases by taking some tests on Project Implicit to educate yourself about your own hidden biases.
Whether or not you experience bias yourself, it is crucial to recognize and believe others when they communicate they have been the victim of bias and discrimination. Carter, R. T., & Sant-Barket, S. M. (2015) developed an assessment to measure the impact of racial discrimination and racism and the resulting traumatic stress symptoms of those who have suffered discrimination. The study by Carter, Et. al., (2015) stated,
Zola was a 40-year-old, middle class, Black woman who claimed she was harmed by a racially hostile work environment. Her complaints involved racial bias associated with issues of unequal pay, being forced to work overtime, changes in her performance evaluations, and unwarranted close supervision.
Zola stated during the assessment interview that she experienced chest pains while at home one day and that she was taken to the emergency room (ER), where she was kept to determine the basis for her ailment. Her physical episode turned out to be a panic attack. She also reported high levels of anxiety, headaches, and episodes of trembling before she would go to work. While at work, she started to have memory loss that got worse over time. At work and home she was unable to concentrate or to calm her thoughts. The work situation affected many aspects of her family relationships. A corroborative interviewee supported her account of her behavior and emotional state.
Zola stated during the assessment interview that she experienced chest pains while at home one day and that she was taken to the emergency room (ER), where she was kept to determine the basis for her ailment. Her physical episode turned out to be a panic attack. She also reported high levels of anxiety, headaches, and episodes of trembling before she would go to work. While at work, she started to have memory loss that got worse over time. At work and home she was unable to concentrate or to calm her thoughts. The work situation affected many aspects of her family relationships. A corroborative interviewee supported her account of her behavior and emotional state.
The description highlights the failure of Zola's work environment to recognize the ramifications of ignoring their bias and Zola's resulting experience of trauma that effected her every day living.
Just having awareness of your own implicit bias is the first step. It is up to us to be aware and do everything in our power to become aware and balance out the biases we carry to bring justice, peace and equality to the world around us.
Chloe Edgar, LCSW
References
Carter, R. T., & Sant-Barket, S. M. (2015). Assessment of the impact of racial discrimination and racism: How to use the Race-Based Traumatic Stress Symptom Scale in practice. Traumatology, 21(1), 32-39. doi:10.1037/trm0000018
