Implicit Bias Jules Holroyd The University of Sheffield
Implicit Bias Jules Holroyd, The University of Sheffield j. d. holroyd@sheffield. ac. uk
• “The big problem, as it is everywhere, is with unconscious bias. I dare say that we all suffer from a degree of unconscious bias, and it can occur in all sorts of manifestations. It is almost by definition an unknown, and therefore extraordinarily difficult to get rid of or even allow for” • Fairness in Courts: The Best We Can Do, Address to the Criminal Justice Alliance, Lord Neuburger, 10 April 2015 https: //www. supremecourt. uk/docs/speech-150410. pdf
• What is implicit bias?
Cognitive biases: “Crime is a {wild beast preying on/virus infecting} the city of Addison. The crime rate in the once peaceful city has steadily increased over the past three years. In fact, these days it seems that crime is {lurking in/plaguing} every neighborhood. In 2004, 46, 177 crimes were reported compared to more than 55, 000 reported in 2007. The rise in violent crime is particularly alarming. In 2004, there were 330 murders in the city, in 2007, there were over 500. ” Thibodeau, P. H. and Boroditsky, L. (2011). Metaphors We Think With: The Role of Metaphor in Reasoning. PLo. S ONE 6(2): e 16782. doi: 10. 1371/journal. pone. 0016782
1. PUNISH = “capture/enforce/punish” (e. g. calling in the National Guard, instituting harsher penalties, building more jails) 2. REFORM = “diagnose/treat/inoculate” (e. g. fix the economy, improve education, provide healthcare)
• Framing influences participant’s views, without them being aware of what is underpinning their judgements. • The factors that do influence judgement may not be accepted as justifying the judgement or action.
• The idea is that parts of our mental networks are activated, and have input into our judgements and action. • These mental networks (‘schema’) may include concepts and ideas that we don’t endorse.
• The extremely problematic kinds of bias: involve social cognition • Implicit association tests:
• Shooter biases Can impact on who is at risk, who is seek to be a risk…
• Microbehaviours Can impact on ease of social interaction, perceptions of credibility.
• Implicit bias in legal contexts In a US study: -judges demonstrated implicit racial bias on IATs to the same degree as population averages -IAT scores marginally affected sentencing in hypothetical case judgements -When race was made explicitly salient, there was no significant relationship. Rachlinksi et al (2009) Does Unconscious Racial Bias Affect Trial Judges? , Notre Dame Law Review vol. 84(3).
Ninety-seven percent (thirty-five out of thirty-six) of the judges placed themselves in the top half and fifty percent (eighteen out of thirty-six) placed themselves in the top quartile, even though by definition, only fifty percent can be above the median, and only twenty-five percent can be in the top quartile. ' (1227) Rachlinksi et al (2009) Does Unconscious Racial Bias Affect Trial Judges? , Notre Dame Law Review vol. 84(3).
Can impact on: • actual sentencing outcomes (cf Hartmann 2016); • ability to even detect a problem (unknowns).
What not to do (what doesn’t work): • merely being aware • trying to be objective • ‘ignoring’ social identity • participating in implicit bias training workshops alone!
What to do? De-bias Individual Interpersonal Institutional cognitive training (e. g. relearning associations) de-biasing ‘agents’; contact hypothesis avoiding biased outcomes (e. g. quotas? ) Mitigate avoiding risk factors (hunder, tiredness); articulate reasoning; ‘imagine the opposite’ identifying others’ biases is easier; challenging conversations Insulate remove information that activates bias sub-divide tasks to create anonymity; independence of procedures tracking outcomes; clear procedures that remove procedures; strong norms bias activating information of fairness
Crucial next steps: • Identify concrete strategies that exemplify different interventions in the matrix • Monitor the effects of using these strategies
• Thank you for your feedback • For more information please contact • j. d. holroyd@sheffield. ac. uk
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