Bias Basics
This is a natural brain function that impacts everyone and is what we use to make sense of the world around us.
What is Bias?
This occurs when we prefer to engage with people, places, things, or ideas that affirm our interests, identities, experiences, or backgrounds.
What is Affinity Bias?
This occurs when someone is treated negatively based on their gender.
What is Sexism?
This bias involves favoring one candidate over another based on characteristics unrelated to job performance.
What is Hiring Bias?
This department provides resources and trainings that may help in mitigating biases.
What is People and Culture/DEI?
This is impacted by biases and impacts what we believe is fair and who deserves fairness.
What is Equity?
This occurs when people give more weight to the first piece of information they receive. Two such types are Horn and Halo biases.
What is Anchoring Bias?
This social bias is one of the oldest in our country that has created systems of discrimination against those who are not identified as white.
What is Racism?
Biases that manifest in the workplace can create this, where unwelcomed conduct can create an intimidating, offensive, or oppressive atmosphere and can significantly interfere with an individual's ability to perform their job.
What is a Hostile Work Environment?
This strategy involves deliberately seeking out information that challenges one's existing beliefs.
What is Counter-Stereotyping?
This is another word for bias, and is often socially used when someone makes decisions based on stereotypes and preconceived notions that may result in inclusion or exclusion.
What is Prejudice?
This type of bias can encourage positive or negative thoughts a person has about themselves based on pre-conceived notions, such as imposter syndrome.
What is Confirmation Bias?
This event--eventually evolving into a month-long observance in June--was a protest in response to negative bias-related treatment of the LGBTQ+ community.
What is Stonewall (Riots)?
In-group favoritism which can create sentiments of exclusion and may be illegal in some workplaces.
What is Nepotism?
This workplace tool aids in addressing bias in decision-making to ensure that various aspects of equity are addressed.
What is the Equity Lens or Equitable Decision-Making Tool?
Bias consists of 4 modes that may intersect along two scales. These 4 modes are
What are Implicit, Explicit, Conscious, and Unconscious?
When the likelihood of an event occurrence is based on the availabililty of the event in one's memory. This can also lead to phobias.
What is Availability Heuristic?
This type of bias is a condition of anxiety based on intense fear of a specific object, activity, situation, or group of people and can lead to avoidance behavior and significant distress.
What is a Phobia?
This type of bias helps with focusing attention on important aspects of a task, but can result in disregarding key information.
What is Attentional Bias?
This involves recognizing, and envisioning yourself in, another person's experience in order to better understand their experiences and perspectives.
What is Empathy?
When bias is demonstrated in this way, the inclusion or exclusion of aspects of elements such as buildings, signs, statues, walkways, etc. can convey lasting messages related to equity and inclusion.
What is Environmental?
This occurs when our perceptions of a person, place, idea, or thing are influenced by the views of others regardless of our own beliefs--typically in seeking acceptance by a person or community.
What is Conformity Bias?
This occurs when the media emphasizes certain events and details over others, and is a major contributor to individual biases.
What is Media Bias?
An affinity bias is helpful in creating this organizational resource for employees who want to connect and serve as support for those who share similar interests, identities, and experiences.
What are Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)?
Listening to this and questioning our assumptions and sources of understanding can help us to be more aware of our unconscious biases.
What is Feedback?