What is Implicit Bias Training?

Acknowledging our biases is uncomfortable but essential for fostering a fair perspective. Biases are often unconscious, making them challenging to recognize and correct. Implicit bias training is an essential tool that can help you learn about your own implicit biases and how to challenge them.

What is Implicit Bias?

Implicit biases are the unnoticed attitudes and judgments we carry against people or groups, influenced by our personal backgrounds and experiences. These biases can extend to race, sexual orientation, education, or gender, possibly influencing our perceptions and actions without us knowing.

Implicit biases act as mental shortcuts formed through our experiences and the information we accumulated growing up. These shortcuts usually help us navigate complex social environments by quickly categorizing information, but they can also lead to stereotypical thinking and unjust decisions.

Implicit Bias vs. Explicit Bias

Explicit biases are those we’re aware of and can articulate, like preferences or dislikes. In contrast, implicit biases typically affect our awareness, influencing our behavior in ways that may contradict our explicit beliefs about equality and fairness. This can result in discriminatory practices, such as favoritism towards certain names on resumes, which research has demonstrated.

What is Implicit Bias Training?

Implicit bias training (also known as unconscious bias training) programs are designed to educate individuals, make them aware of their own implicit biases, and equip them with tools and strategies to act objectively. Several companies, such as Facebook, Google, and the US Department of Justice, have their own implicit bias training.

At least four states have passed legislation requiring some healthcare professionals to take implicit bias training. This is usually tied to a healthcare professional’s license. For example, California registered nurses are required to undergo implicit bias training as part of their licensing requirements to help address the issue of implicit bias in healthcare.

Participating in Implicit Bias Training can be an effective way to uncover and understand your unconscious biases, providing insights into how biases form and influence behavior.

Additional Ways to Combat Implicit Bias

Tackling implicit bias starts with recognizing it within ourselves, and there are practical steps to address these prejudices:

1. Reflect on Your Biases: After implicit bias training, take time to reflect on the biases you may have learned. Ask yourself where these biases come from, how they affect your perceptions and actions, and what you can do to challenge them. Approaching these biases with an open mind rather than judgment allows for more self-exploration and growth.
2. Adopt Different Perspectives: Make a conscious effort to view situations through the eyes of others, especially those from different backgrounds and life experiences. Practicing empathy can help dismantle the preconceptions and stereotypes that biases can have.
3. Focus on Bias Management: Awareness of biases is only the first step; actively working to change behaviors and attitudes is critical. Implement strategies to alter your actions based on new understandings of bias and regularly assess your progress. This proactive approach is key to reducing the effects of implicit biases on your decisions and interactions.

Understanding and confronting implicit bias is a crucial step toward creating a more inclusive and equitable society. Using online training can help educate and prepare you for certain situations and may be a part of compliance requirements depending on your location and job role.

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