Confronting Bias

Words to Know

Implicit Bias -- Subconscious attitudes or assumptions that influence our understandings and actions

Confirmation Bias -- Tendency to utilize information which reinforces our existing beliefs

Fundamental Attribution Error -- The tendency to attribute other individuals negative behaviors to their character instead of environmental factors and attributing negative behaviors of our own to the environment instead of our character

Colorblind Racial Attitudes -- An attitude in which one attempts to suggest that they see no difference between individuals of different races

Privilege -- A special right given to certain individuals based on a variety of factors such as race, socioeconomic status, gender, or sexuality

In-Group Bias -- An innate favoritism for individuals within one's own social group or designated group

Microaggression --  Short verbal or behavioral slants, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostility and prejudice to marginalized groups

Discovering Your Own Biases

Acknowledging your own biases presents one of the greatest challenges in self-discovery and self-understanding because it forces us to look directly at our own flaws. However, it helps us to better understand mental shortcuts that may be hurting ourselves and those around us

Harvard Implicit Bias Test

Confirmation Bias

Confirmation bias involves understanding new information in terms of our own pre-existing beliefs. We make an unconscious choice to recall information that confirms thoughts and theories that we have developed and ignore information that refutes these theories. Below is a short four minute video that can help you better grasp confirmation bias.

Videos Worth Watching

Kyle Quinn talks about his experience marrying an immigrant and the challenges he did not expect

Tony Salvador discuses our biases we display while listening