Implicit Bias and Stereotype Threat

Implicit Bias

What is bias?

Bias consists of attitudes, behaviors, and actions that are prejudiced in favor of or against one person or group compared to another.

What is implicit bias?

Implicit bias is a form of bias that occurs automatically and unintentionally, that nevertheless affects judgments, decisions, and behaviors. Research has shown implicit bias can pose a barrier to recruiting and retaining a diverse scientific workforce.

Strategies to Reduce Implicit Bias

The good news is that implicit bias can be mitigated with awareness and effective bias-reduction strategies. Provided here are a few examples of these strategies that you can use to reduce implicit bias:

• Think of counter-stereotypic examples. Identify scientists of diverse backgrounds in your field.¹
• Perspective-taking—Imagine what it is like to be a person who experiences people questioning your ability or skills because of your social identity.²
• Interrupt automatic-biased thoughts. Identify when you may be most influenced by implicit bias (e.g. evaluating performance) and create an action plan (e.g. review evaluation criteria before assessing each person's performance in the form of if-and-then statements) to increase mindfulness of, or mitigate the influence of, implicit bias.³
• Education—Join or set up an implicit-bias workshop in your community to raise awareness.^4,5

What Doesn't Work

While raising awareness of and reducing implicit bias is an important way to promote scientific workforce diversity, implicit bias is only one among many factors. A concerted, integrated approach to increase participation and engagement of underrepresented groups is essential to achieve true diversity and inclusion within an organization.

The top three diversity training approaches used by U.S. companies are the three least effective, according to "Why Diversity Programs Fail" by Frank Dobbin and Alexandra Kale.⁶ They cite the following:

• Poor Return on the Usual Diversity Programs—The three most popular interventions make firms less diverse, not more, because managers resist strong-arming. For instance, testing job applicants hurts women and minorities—but not because they perform poorly. Hiring managers don't always test everyone (white men often get a pass) and don't interpret results consistently.
• Diversity Programs That Get Results—Companies do a better job of increasing diversity when they forgo the control tactics and frame their efforts more positively. The most effective programs spark engagement, increase contact among different groups, or draw on people's strong desire to look good to others.

Stereotype Threat: Definition

Stereotype threat is defined as a "socially premised psychological threat that arises when one is in a situation or doing something for which a negative stereotype about one's group applies."⁷ According to stereotype threat, members of a marginalized group acknowledge that a negative stereotype exists in reference to their group, and they demonstrate apprehension about confirming the negative stereotype by engaging in particular activities.

References

1. Blair, I.V., Ma, J.E., & Lenton, A.P. (2001, November). Link opens in a new windowImagining stereotypes away: The moderation of implicit stereotypes through mental imagery. Journal of Personal and Social Psychology, 81(5), 828–841. doi: 10.1037//0022-3514.81.5.828
2. Galinsky, A.D., & Moskowitz, G.B. (2000, April). Link opens in a new windowPerspective-taking: Decreasing stereotype expression, stereotype accessibility, and in-group favoritism. Journal of Personal and Social Psychology, 78(4), 708–724. doi: 10.1037//0022-3514.78.4.708
3. Stewart, B.D., & Payne, B.K. (2008, October). Link opens in a new windowBringing automatic stereotyping under control: Implementation intentions as efficient means of thought control. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (PSPB), 34(10), 1332–1345. doi: 10.1177/0146167208321269
4. Carnes, M., Devine, P.G., Manwell, L.B., Byars-Winston, A., Fine, E., Ford, C.E., et al. (2015, February). Link opens in a new windowEffect of an intervention to break the gender bias habit for faculty at one institution: A cluster randomized, controlled trial. Academic Medicine, 90(2), 221–230. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000000552
5. Girod, S., Fassiotto, M., Grewal, D., Candy Ku, M., Sriram, N., Nosek, B.A., & Valantine, H. (2016, August). Link opens in a new windowReducing implicit gender leadership bias in academic medicine with an educational intervention. Academic Medicine, 91(8), 1143–1150. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000001099
6. Dobbin, F., & Kalev, A. (2016, July). Link opens in a new windowWhy diversity programs fail. Harvard Business Review (July–August 2016 Issue). Retrieved July 7, 2020, from https://hbr.org
7. Steele, C.M., & Aronson, J. (1995, November). Link opens in a new windowStereotype threat and the intellectual test performance of African Americans. Journal of Personal and Social Psychology, 69(5), 797–811. doi: 10.1037//0022-3514.69.5.797