Topic > Implicit Bias, Its Aspects, Harms, and Methods of Measurement

Implicit bias is an ugly stain on the face of humanity, and humanity's ability to completely eradicate it is questionable. Although it is generally known that prejudices and prejudices are in fact wrong and socially unacceptable, this social norm can tend to teach people to hide any prejudices they may have; furthermore, prejudices can be so deeply rooted in a person that they themselves are no longer rooted. I'm not even aware that I have them. These implicit biases are implanted through a variety of experiences that can begin at birth, through emotions, socialization, and interaction with our respective environments. However, possessing implicit bias is not a life sentence; rather, through experimentation, awareness, and conscious effort, humanity can go one step further than before in eliminating prejudice. The particularly pernicious aspect of implicit bias is that a person is generally unaware of its existence, hence the word implicit. They are the forces that put wind in the sails of stereotypes, leading people to generalize across groups of people and characteristics. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The following essay will address several aspects of implicit bias. It will discuss examples of the specific harm that can result from implicit bias; different ways to measure implicit bias and the reliability and validity of the methods and instruments used for measurement. Racial bias by police is a social problem that appears to be on the rise and perhaps the reason for many unavoidable police shootings. In a recent Stanford University study of police body camera footage found that police overall were more likely to speak to black residents less professionally and in a different tone than white residents. Police were observed not only downplaying the use of language such as “sir,” “madam,” “please,” or “thank you,” but also inappropriate actions such as speaking rudely to residents. While the interactions do not appear to be an overt display of racism, they reinforce people's beliefs that racism exists between law enforcement and black and brown people. These types of unintentional reactions can be harmful and perpetuate the belief that people of color are targets of racism by police. The implicit biases that fuel unintentional behaviors are often so subtle that a person doesn't realize what's happening. The subtlety of these comments, gestures, language and treatment are confusing and leave the person wondering whether the comment was intentionally biased or nothing at all. Continued negative interactions between police and people of color, fueled by intentional or unintentional implicit bias, influence not only how the person of color may feel about the situation, but also how they might respond. A second implicit bias that affects society is gender bias. Gender bias in the workplace is causing women to suffer economic hardship with lower wages, fewer job offers and fewer promotions. In 2012, researchers at Yale University completed a study of 127 scientists examining job applications from male and female students with the same qualifications and found that male applicants consistently scored higher on qualities such as competence and they were more likely to.