| Unconscious bias is a term that is used to describe some types of prejudices that we might be unaware of and can make us feel that it is out of our direct control. Unconscious bias or also called identity bias is known as a human cognitive trait that leads to stereotyping individuals on the basis of characteristics, personal experiences, cultures, and backgrounds. Research shows that our brains are naturally wired to categorize other people by their social background, age, education, gender, and sexual orientation.
Examples of unconscious bias
- Confirmation bias: Confirmation bias is known as the tendency you have towards drawing conclusions about a situation or a person based on your personal beliefs, prejudices, and personal desire rather than on unbiased merit.
- Affinity bias: This bias is also called a similarity bias; it is defined as the tendency that people have to connect with other people who share the same interest, backgrounds, and experiences.
- Attribution bias: It is a phenomenon whereby a person will try to make sense of people’s behavior or judge their behavior based on prior observation.
Ways you can avoid unconscious bias
- Unconscious bias training: Education is an essential step in the awareness of unconscious biases. Conduct programs on unconscious bias training to educate your employees on how different factors can alienate coworkers and candidates. These training sessions can also be used as an opportunity to set expectations on how leaders can enforce inclusive, diverse, and equitable practices.
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