Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do

by Jennifer L. Eberhardt

Psychologists today dub what worried Lippmann “confirmation bias.” People tend to seek out and attend to information that already confirms their beliefs. We find such information more trustworthy and are less critical of it, even when we are presented with credible, seemingly unassailable facts that suggest otherwise. Once we develop theories about how things operate, that framework is hard to dislodge.

In the twenty-first century, we have access to more information than ever before through online sources shaped by specific perspectives and aimed at people who share the same views. This segregation of information removes from view those facts that are uncomfortable, inconvenient, and incongruous to what we already believe and leaves us susceptible to “fake news” that supports our preconceived notions.

The problem was rooted in a mind-set, a carryover from years past, that promotes instinct and aggression as the foundational elements of good policing.

While blacks made up 67 percent of Ferguson’s population, they accounted for 85 percent of vehicle stops and 90 percent of citations. And though black drivers were twice as likely to be searched by police, they were 26 percent less likely than whites to be found in possession of contraband.

On the whole, little is done in prison to prepare inmates for reentry, despite the obvious financial payoff for the investment; it costs less to help with reentry than it does to fund another prison term.

Every class reminded me of the power of education to move us beyond our biases and reminded my students of the power of bias to shape their lives.