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

by Jennifer L. Eberhardt

Implicit bias is a kind of distorting lens that’s a product of both the architecture of our brain and the disparities in our society.

The brain is not a hardwired machine. It’s a malleable organ that responds to the environments we are placed in and the challenges we face.

Students need to feel individually valued and respected, connected to both the people and the process involved in their education. Those psychological factors can affect how and how much our children learn.

The promise of bias training is not to magically wipe out prejudice but to make us aware of how our minds work and how knee-jerk choices can be driven by stereotypes that cloud what we see and perceive. Done well, training can make employees more mindful of how they interact with co-workers and customers. The intent is genuine, and the programs have stirred up a lot of surprising reactions among employees who had no idea about some of their own behaviors.

Among those conditions, speed and ambiguity are two of the strongest triggers of bias. When we are forced to make quick decisions using subjective criteria, the potential for bias is great.