WHAT IS IMPLICIT BIAS?

Bias and prejudice have existed since ancient times. Most of the documented occurrences of bias describe overt or conscious bias. It is only fairly recently that the concept of implicit bias has been described. In 1995, psychologists Mahzarin Banaji and Anthony Greenwald used the term implicit bias to describe “social behavior [that] often operates in an implicit or unconscious fashion. The identifying feature of implicit cognition is that past experiences influence judgment in a fashion not introspectively known by the actor” (UCC, 2022).

Definitions of Implicit Bias

Biases are attitudes, behaviors, and actions that are prejudiced in favor of or against a person or group. Implicit bias, also known as unconscious bias, is a form of bias that is both automatic and unintentional. It may include stereotypes, judgments, and assumptions that someone unknowingly believes are true and that may be based on factors such as age, race, weight, gender, gender orientation, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic status, or more.

Although people with implicit biases are unaware of their prejudices, these biases may still affect their behaviors and decisions. Another important facet of implicit bias is that it is not only outside of the person’s awareness, but it may directly contradict what they verbalize as their beliefs and values (NIH, 2022; Maryville University, n.d.).

Types of Bias

There are numerous types of bias, as described below:

• Ability bias occurs when assumptions are made about people based on physical and mental capabilities. Example: A highly experienced candidate for a position in software design uses a wheelchair. The interviewer decides to hire a less-experienced person who is nondisabled. When discussing the hiring process with his boss, he says that the job requires that the successful candidate have a lot of energy and stamina. He is not aware that he has exhibited implicit bias against people with disabilities, perhaps making implicit assumptions about the energy and stamina of these individuals.
• Age bias occurs when assumptions are made about others based on age. This type of bias can be implicit or explicit. Ageism (prejudice or discrimination on the basis of age) can be directed at older adults and young people alike. Example: A manager makes a decision to hire a recent university graduate because the assumption is made that older candidates (e.g., over the age of 55) will not be able to learn new skills quickly because of their age.
• Affinity bias is the tendency for people to gravitate toward other people who are similar to themselves. Example: Colleagues may be more likely to welcome a new employee who has a similar background (e.g., living in the same or similar town, attending the same university) and similar career goals and objectives. It is the similarity that binds these people together.
• Attribution bias is part of the way people assess others and their achievements. One believes their own personal achievements are earned by hard work and failures are due to external factors, whereas other people’s successes are due to good luck and failures due to mistakes or not being capable. This type of bias is more often explicit rather than implicit. Example: A person who does not receive a promotion at work attributes their failure to external, unfair factors and attributes a promotion given to another person as due to luck rather than ability.
• Beauty bias is the tendency for people to judge others based on their appearance. In other words, they treat attractive people in a positive manner and treat people who may not be particularly attractive in a negative manner. This bias can be implicit or explicit. Example: Two men are sitting at different tables in a restaurant; one is extremely handsome, one is not. The handsome man receives prompt attention, while the other man is kept waiting for someone to take his order.
• Confirmation bias occurs when someone has preconceived opinions and, rather than being objective, looks for evidence to back up these opinions. This type of bias is more often explicit rather than implicit. Example: A manager is interviewing candidates for a position in the department. While looking through their resumes prior to the interviews, the manager finds that one of the candidates lists English as a second language. The manager assumes that this candidate will not be able to communicate adequately with patients and colleagues and focuses on items in the resume and during the interview that support this assumption.
• Conformity bias is closely related to the phenomenon of peer pressure. It occurs when someone allows their views to be influenced by other people whose acceptance they are seeking. Example: A newly hired nurse becomes the target of several bullies in the department. They believe that the new nurse is going to be overbearing and hard to work with because she is pursuing graduate education to become a nurse practitioner. Another nurse disagrees, and generally opposes bullying, but is afraid of losing the friendship of the bullies. So, while not participating in the actual bullying, this nurse does nothing to stop it or help the new colleague adapt to a new work environment. This is an active, conscious choice, which makes it explicit bias.
• Gender, gender identification, sexual orientation biases occur when it is assumed that someone is or is not capable based on these characteristics. Example: A woman who has come out as a lesbian is overlooked for a promotion that would have required her to supervise a large number of female employees. The employer believes that the woman who is a lesbian would be looking for romantic relationships among the women she is supervising simply because she is a lesbian. This is also a conscious choice, making it explicit.
• Name bias exists when people judge someone based on their name and perceived backgrounds. Example: The name of a managerial candidate for the position of department head of the psychology department in a large metropolitan hospital is Abdullah Khan. One of the administrators on the hiring committee states, “It sounds like he’s a Muslim. If he gets hired, we’ll probably have to make all kinds of special arrangements for him to pray on work time. I don’t care what someone’s religion is and I am very tolerant, but we don’t have time to make a lot of extra accommodations.” This administrator shares these opinions with colleagues and triggers similar concerns among a few of them. The administrator may or may not have made a conscious decision to prevent the candidate’s hiring. Even though the administrator believes they are tolerant, their actions say otherwise.
• Race and ethnicity bias is a form of bias that occurs when people make assumptions based on others’ race or ethnicity. Example: People assume that Hispanic individuals do not speak English fluently. This may cause an employer to overlook Hispanic people for jobs that require strong English communication abilities. This type of bias can be both explicit or implicit.
• Weight bias occurs when people judge others negatively based on their weight, whether they are overweight or underweight. Example: A dietitian in an outpatient clinic is preparing to provide dietary consultation for a patient. The dietitian is obviously severely underweight and is receiving treatment for a gastrointestinal disease that resulted in weight loss. The patient sees the dietitian and says, “If you expect me to get as skinny as you are, forget about it. You are probably judging me because I am fat. I think I need another dietitian—someone who won’t judge me.” The patient may be the victim of implicit bias. However, the patient may also harbor implicit bias toward people who are very thin.
  (Maryville University, n.d.; Toll, 2021)