Implicit Bias | Lesson 2: Attitudes and Stereotypes

Summary

This lesson explores how we automatically categorize people based on attributes like age, gender, and race, triggering associated attitudes and stereotypes. Attitudes are evaluative feelings, while stereotypes are specific trait associations. Both can bias our interactions. The script distinguishes between explicit biases, which we're aware of, and implicit biases, which operate unconsciously. It suggests that these biases, formed through exposure, can subtly yet significantly affect our decisions and actions, encouraging viewers to consider their own biases and their origins.

Takeaways

• 🧠 Schemas are mental frameworks that automatically categorize people based on characteristics like age, gender, race, or profession.
• 🤔 When we categorize someone, our brains activate associated attitudes and stereotypes, influencing our thoughts and interactions.
• 📊 Attitudes are evaluative feelings towards a category, either positive or negative, and are like gut reactions.
• 🔍 Stereotypes are specific associations between a category and a trait, such as 'athletic' or 'good at math'.
• 👤 These biases can affect our behavior towards individuals based on the group they are perceived to belong to.
• 😃 Positive attitudes might lead to friendlier interactions, while stereotypes could influence hiring decisions.
• 🏃‍♂️ Negative stereotypes, like the belief that a group is not athletic, might lead to exclusion from certain activities.
• 🤷‍♂️ Both explicit and implicit biases are at play; explicit biases are known to us, while implicit biases operate unconsciously.
• 🌐 Biases often stem from exposure to certain contexts, whether through direct contact or indirect sources like media and culture.
• 🔄 We are generally aware of explicit biases and can correct them, but implicit biases are harder to address because we're not aware of them.
• 🌟 Implicit biases, despite being less visible, can significantly impact our actions and decisions in subtle but meaningful ways.

Q & A

What is the role of schemas in our perception of people?

Schemas are cognitive frameworks that help us categorize people based on salient social categories such as age, gender, race, or profession. They guide our automatic associations and influence how we think about and interact with individuals.

What are attitudes according to social psychologists?

Attitudes are associations between a category and an evaluative valence, which can be either positive or negative. They are gut feelings or general likes or dislikes towards certain things or groups.

How do stereotypes differ from attitudes?

Stereotypes are more specific associations between a category and a particular trait, whereas attitudes are broader evaluations of a category. Stereotypes involve assumptions about characteristics that are often not universally true within a group.

Can you provide an example of a stereotype mentioned in the script?

An example of a stereotype given in the script is the association of the category 'snakes' with the trait 'venomous,' even though not all snakes are venomous.

How does the script illustrate the impact of stereotypes on individuals?

The script uses the example of the speaker being perceived as Asian, which triggers certain attitudes and stereotypes like being good at math or not athletic, affecting how others might interact with or choose to work with them.

What is the difference between explicit and implicit biases?

Explicit biases are attitudes and stereotypes that one is aware of and can introspect upon. Implicit biases, on the other hand, are those that operate outside of conscious awareness and are not easily introspected.

Why are implicit biases concerning despite being invisible?

Implicit biases are concerning because they can influence our actions and decisions in subtle but significant ways without our conscious knowledge, leading to potential unfairness and discrimination.

How do we typically acquire biases?

Biases are often acquired through exposure to certain contexts, either directly through personal experiences or indirectly through stories, books, movies, social media, and popular culture.

What is the role of direct and vicarious contact in forming our biases?

Direct contact involves personal interactions that can shape our biases, while vicarious contact refers to learning through observing others or consuming media, both of which contribute to the formation of attitudes and stereotypes.

How can we address our biases?

We can address our biases by being aware of them, especially our explicit biases, and striving to revise our attitudes and stereotypes based on better information and more accurate representations.

What is the significance of the upcoming Lesson 3 mentioned in the script?

Lesson 3: Real World Consequences is significant as it likely delves into how biases, both explicit and implicit, manifest in real-world scenarios and the implications they have on individuals and society.

Outlines

00:00

🧠 Schemas and Biases in Social Perception

This paragraph discusses how schemas, which are social categories like age, gender, race, or profession, influence our perception of others. When we categorize someone, our brains automatically activate associated information, including attitudes (evaluative feelings) and stereotypes (specific traits). These biases can affect our interactions with others. The paragraph also differentiates between explicit biases, which we are aware of, and implicit biases, which operate without our conscious knowledge. The source of these biases is explored, highlighting how they are formed through exposure to certain contexts, either directly or indirectly through media and culture. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing the subtle yet significant impact of implicit biases on our actions and decisions.

Keywords

💡Schemas

Schemas are mental frameworks or templates that help individuals organize and interpret information about the world. In the context of the video, schemas are applied to people, allowing us to categorize them based on attributes like age, gender, race, or profession. This process is automatic and can influence our perceptions and interactions with others. For example, the video describes how we might assign someone to a social category and then activate associated attitudes and stereotypes.

💡Social Categories

Social categories are groups into which individuals are sorted based on shared characteristics such as race, gender, or profession. The video explains that upon perceiving someone, we instantly place them into these categories, which then trigger associated attitudes and stereotypes. This categorization is a fundamental part of how schemas function in social interactions.

💡Attitudes

Attitudes are described in the video as associations between a social category and an evaluative sentiment, which can be positive or negative. They are likened to gut feelings or general likes and dislikes. The video uses the example of having a negative attitude towards large rats versus a positive one towards plump hamsters, illustrating how attitudes can shape our reactions to different entities.

💡Stereotypes

Stereotypes are specific associations between a social category and a particular trait. The video contrasts stereotypes with attitudes by pointing out that while attitudes are general evaluations, stereotypes are more concrete beliefs about the characteristics of a group. An example given is the stereotype that snakes are venomous, which is a specific trait associated with the category 'snakes.'

💡Biases

Biases, as discussed in the video, are deviations from a neutral point of view, represented by attitudes and stereotypes. They can influence our thoughts and actions towards individuals based on the groups we associate them with. The video explains that biases can be explicit, which we are aware of and can introspect, or implicit, which operate without our conscious knowledge.

💡Explicit Biases

Explicit biases are those that an individual is consciously aware of. The video suggests that people can identify and reflect on their explicit biases by self-assessment, which allows for the possibility of correcting these biases through conscious effort and better information.

💡Implicit Biases

Implicit biases are attitudes or stereotypes that are not accessible through direct introspection. The video explains that these biases are not consciously recognized, and therefore, they are not easily corrected. They can still influence our actions and decisions in subtle but significant ways.

💡Vicarious Contact

Vicarious contact refers to learning about others through indirect means such as stories, books, movies, or social media. The video suggests that our biases are often formed through vicarious contact rather than direct interaction, which can lead to the adoption of stereotypes and attitudes that may not accurately represent the groups they are associated with.

💡Self-Correction

Self-correction is the process of revising one's attitudes and stereotypes based on better information or awareness. The video points out that while we are often mindful of checking our explicit biases for accuracy and fairness, implicit biases do not undergo this self-correction process because they are not consciously recognized.

💡Consequential Ways

The term 'consequential ways' in the video refers to the significant impact that implicit biases can have on our actions and decisions, despite operating invisibly. The video emphasizes that even small biases can lead to important outcomes, such as who we choose to hire or interact with, highlighting the real-world implications of these unconscious attitudes.

Highlights

Schemas are applied to people unconsciously based on social categories like age, gender, race, or profession.

Our brains activate associated information when we categorize someone, influencing our thoughts and interactions.

Attitudes are gut feelings or evaluations towards a category, either positive or negative.

Stereotypes are specific associations between a category and a trait, like 'venomous' for snakes.

Stereotypes about people can lead to assumptions about their abilities or roles, such as being 'athletic' or 'good at math'.

The speaker uses their own ethnicity as an example to illustrate how attitudes and stereotypes are automatically activated.

Attitudes and stereotypes are biases that diverge from a neutral point, influencing perceptions without conscious awareness.

Explicit biases are known to us because we can introspect and identify our feelings and thoughts.

Implicit biases are unconscious attitudes or stereotypes that we are not aware of.

Biases are formed through exposure to certain contexts, either directly or indirectly through media and culture.

The accuracy of our biases is questioned, prompting reflection on the sources of our attitudes towards groups like Native Americans.

Explicit biases are often checked for accuracy and fairness, but implicit biases are not, as they operate invisibly.

Implicit biases can influence our actions and decisions in subtle but significant ways.

The lesson invites curiosity and skepticism, encouraging further exploration in the upcoming Lesson 3: Real World Consequences.

Transcripts

In Lesson 1, we learned that schemas apply to people.

Without any conscious thought, the instant we see someone, we assign them to salient

and chronically accessible social categories such as age, gender, race, or profession.

Once we tag someone as belonging to a particular group, our brain automatically activates a

cloud of information that we’ve come to associate with that group.

These associations then potentially influence how we think about and interact with that

person.

This cloud of associations includes what social psychologists call “attitudes” and “stereotypes.”

An attitude is an association between a category and an evaluative valence, either positive

or negative.

Attitudes are like gut feelings; a general like v. dislike; hot v. cold; “thumbs up

v. thumbs down.”

We hold attitudes about all sorts of things.

For instance, you might have a negative attitude toward large rats, but a positive attitude

toward plump hamsters.

A stereotype, in contrast, is a more specific association between a category and a particular

trait.

When you think of the category “snakes,” you probably think of the trait “venomous.”

We know that not all snakes inject toxins when they bite, but there is a strong association

nevertheless.

Stereotypes also apply to people.

Some groups are considered “athletic” whereas others are assumed to be “good at

math.”

Similarly, some groups are seen as natural leaders, whereas others are seen as natural

caregivers.

Take me for example.

When you see my face or read my last name, your brain hashtags me as Asian, and the attitudes

and stereotypes you associate with that category are automatically activated.

If you have a positive attitude toward Asians, you might smile at me just a little bit more

when I approach you at a lunch table.

If you think Asians are good at math, you might be a little more inclined to hire me

as your accountant but not your lawyer.

But if you think Asians aren’t athletic, you probably won’t choose me for your pickup

game of basketball.

We call “attitudes” and “stereotypes” biases because they represent information

that diverges from some neutral point.

Explicit biases are attitudes and stereotypes that you know you have because you can just

ask yourself what your feelings and thoughts are, and get an answer.

By contrast, an implicit bias is an attitude or stereotype that you have no direct introspective

access to.

In other words, asking yourself for an honest answer doesn’t tell you what you need to

know.

Where do these biases come from?

Why do we associate certain attitudes and stereotypes with some groups but not others?

Well, think about how you learned that snakes are venomous.

Or think about why certain smells or foods give you a warm feeling of home?

It’s through exposure in a particular context.

Sometimes that exposure is through direct contact.

Other times, it’s through second-hand or vicarious contact, mediated through stories,

books, movies, social media, and popular culture.

It’s no different with people.

Pause for a moment and think about your attitude toward Native Americans.

Also, what traits do you associate with them?

How do you learn all this?

Was it through direct interaction?

If it was more vicarious, how accurate and representative do you think those exposures

were?

Because we are aware of explicit bias, we are often mindful about checking them for

accuracy, appropriateness, and fairness.

Most of us actually strive to revise our prior attitudes and stereotypes on the basis of

better information.

But this sort of self-correction doesn’t go on with implicit bias because we don’t

even know we have them.

Unfortunately, there’s increasing evidence that implicit biases — even though they

operate invisibly — influence our actions and decisions in small but consequential ways.

Still curious?

Skeptical?

Don’t miss Lesson 3: Real World Consequences.