Unconscious Bias

Unconscious Bias

Have you ever thought about unconscious bias? Do you believe that you are biased against certain groups of people, whether consciously or unconsciously? The truth is, everyone has some unconscious bias.

There are numerous reasons society has biases. We learn from our parents’ unconscious or conscious biases, societal norms, our own cultures, and the norms therein, and television and internet commercials that show us how we should look/act/feel. Many of these biases are embedded in our subconscious, and we don’t even realize we have them.

Let’s take a look at the different types of bias:

Affinity bias: affinity bias is what it sounds like: we gravitate toward people like ourselves in appearance, beliefs, and background and we may avoid or even dislike people who are different from us. Think about your friend group, how are they similar to you in gender, age, race, language?

Confirmation bias: interpretation of new evidence as a means to confirm an existing belief, while ignoring evidence that would prove that belief false. Think about the COVID-19 pandemic and the division of views in our population.

Conformity bias: conformity bias is when our deep-seated need to belong causes us to adapt our behaviors to feel like part of the group. Rather than using personal and ethical judgment, people imitate the behavior of others in a bid to toe the party line. Was there a time you were in a meeting, and didn’t really agree with what was decided, but went along with the decision anyway? Silence is also a form of conformity, if you see something, say something!

Racial bias: racial bias is a personal and sometimes unreasoned judgment made solely on an individual’s race. Think about how comfortable you are around people of differing skin colors from yours.

Gender bias: gender bias is a tendency to prefer one gender over another. It is a form of unconscious bias, or implicit bias, which occurs when an individual unconsciously attributes certain attitudes and stereotypes to another person or group of people. Close your eyes, and picture a pilot greeting you on a plane. What gender immediately comes to mind?

Halo effect: the halo effect is a type of unconscious bias whereby our perception of someone is positively influenced by our opinions of that person’s other related traits. Do you think a person who has beautiful looks would be favored over a person who is not as nice to look at?

Horn effect: the horn effect is when someone’s perception of another is unduly influenced by a single negative trait. Think about a first impression you had of someone that ended up being completely off-base once you got to know the person. Was there a physical trait that immediately caused you to think negatively about them, such as race, gender, age, or weight?

Let’s examine the wheel of power/privilege. Are there any areas that you can see on the wheel where you have privilege but did not do anything to achieve that privilege? As a white, heterosexual, able-bodied, English-speaking female who was born in Canada, I can see that I had quite a lot of privilege before I had even gotten some post-secondary education. Take a look for yourself to see which ring on the wheel you fall under. Many people are on the outer ring and have to struggle harder to be accepted and seen due to no fault of their own.

So, now that you have hopefully done some reflection, and thought about the chance that you may have some unconscious biases, how do we help ourselves and others to change our perspectives going forward? Here are some tools for intervention.

1.) Acknowledge that everyone has biases, including you.
2.) Slow down, be mindful and considerate in your response to others. WAIT -what am I thinking?
3.) Actively imagine the thoughts and feelings of others, and think from their perspective.
4.) Question yourself to challenge your assumptions.
5.) Try to interpret a person’s behavior through their cultural lens rather than your own.
6.) Identify counter-stereotypical people, someone who doesn’t fit the societal assumption.
7.) Expand your friend circle to make it more diverse.

More information on this subject can be found at:

The Micropedia of Microaggressions – the first encyclopedia of microaggressions  -This is an encyclopedia of microaggressions with exceptional insight and information on the viewpoints of marginalized communities.

Take a Test – Harvard Implicit Association Test – The IAT measures attitudes and beliefs that people may be unwilling or unable to realize about themselves.

Will & Harper – follow Will Farrell across the US in this documentary about his road trip with his long-time transgender friend Harper Steele, and discover the societal challenges they face on their journey. (Netflix)

An Invitation to Brave Space

Together we will create brave space
Because there is no such thing as a “safe space”
We exist in the real world
We all carry scars and we have all caused wounds.

In this space
We seek to turn down the volume of the outside world,
We amplify our voices that fight to be heard elsewhere,
We call each other to more truths and love
We have the right to start somewhere and continue to grow

We have the responsibility to examine what we think we know

We will not be perfect.
This space will not be perfect.
It will not always be what we wish it to be
But it will be our brave space together, and

We will work on it side by side

-Micky Scott Bey Jones

I would like to acknowledge HSAA (The Union of Healthcare Professionals) for hosting the workshop from which I learned and shared this information. Thank you for advocating for the rights of our diverse healthcare community.

Joanne Fontaine works as a purchasing technician with AHS at the Medicine Hat hospital.  She also has had the privilege of working in Grande Prairie in both acute and cancer care.  Ultimate life goal – to be found lounging on the beaches of Mexico in a wrap and flip-flops while getting a sun tan.