Implicit Bias

At an AWISNSF meeting in DC, I am learning about implicit bias, that none of us see things objectively, as in the following amazing optical illusions:

The Tables

The Checkerboard (and video)

Squares

Spinning Woman

T-Rex

The following human figures on the left are exactly the same color and shade as those on the right:

main-qimg-488b2d7642a0e68de2f09dc28dc11bc7

For information on similar gender biases, see the brochure by WISELI on “Reviewing Applicants.”

Note added 25 May 2011. AWIS has posted some webcasts. One study found that readers of CVs identical except for a man’s or a woman’s name at the top preferred to hire the man. The same study  found no such difference for tenure decisions.

3 Comments

  1. misha:

    Maybe it’s time for implicit bias theorem?

  2. Herb:

    It is interesting to see a sort of “meta” bias going on, in that,
    while the biases described in the study you referenced do exist,
    mention of biases against man are rarely, if ever, mentioned:

    How about the U.S family court system, where mothers are assumed
    by default to be the better parent? Or, in the Penal System, how more
    leniency is shown to women for almost identical crimes? Or how mention
    is rarely made that in around 90% of couples, women have the last say in
    most important financial decisions (e.g., buying a house, a car), even when
    the man is the bigger earner?

    Most studies on bias seem to mention bias towards a group the writer belongs
    to, and not towards other groups.

    But maybe I am being biased myself.

  3. Phoebe:

    Herb is absolutely right. Implicit bias studies show a bias towards women in some roles but not others. Our AWARDS work suggests that the same disciplinary societies that are not selecting women for scholarly awards seem to have a bias TOWARDS women when giving service awards.