IAT ... learning about bias as "we"

Attorney General Loretta Lynch is making her opening statement as I write.  It caught my attention when she mentioned multiple levels of implicit bias training for law enforcement.  This is a topic I have not heard in the emotionally charged news coverage of the week and I think it is a glimmer of hope if we all learn about implicit bias.  

Lynch's alma mater, Harvard, offers free online implicit association tests (IAT) that can provide us with insights into how bias can lurk below our level of awareness masked by our good intentions.  While we may strive to see each other without prejudice, culture and our experiences shape our thoughts in ways we cannot perfectly control.  What may surprise many people is that we share biases across demographic groups so this truly is an issue of "we" unlike the "us-them" news coverage and civil unrest that has escalated.

To complete implicit association tests on topics such as race, gender, religion and weight, visit Project Implicit at Harvard.  You may find that it feels difficult to complete the tests when you first attempt them because the testing requires that you respond very quickly which makes it hard to choose the "right" answer that could hide implicit bias.  We have made so much progress with regard to discrimination ... for us to move into the next era of positive change and inclusion, shared knowledge about implicit bias could bind us toward solutions.   


Prejudice - having a negative opinion or feeling toward someone without reason

Discrimination - a behavioral act based on prejudice

Implicit Bias - unconscious prejudicial thoughts that affect our understanding and actions


9:01 am - Sanders and Clinton are making a joint presentation now and Clinton just asked all of us to scan our own thoughts for implicit bias.  The problems with this statement are that 1) we all have implicit biases 2) very few people are aware of their implicit biases (most have not even heard the term and/or do not know what it means) and 3) many who are still discussing racism are not differentiating conscious and unconscious thoughts that make all of us vulnerable to the same mental and behavioral errors.  We are in our infancy of these discussions!



This show is old !  But, the information here has yet to become part of our American psyche and, again, it could be a basis for solutions if we acknowledge how our thoughts and behaviors develop and are expressed (8 min)