Bias and Belonging
Intentional Consonance, Unintentional Dissonance If people’s constructs of who they are have more to do with what they feel most familiar with, then people can change to create more inclusive circles of trust. The key is to become aware of the unintentional ways that bias can manifest and to be more intentional about those thoughts and feelings. Cognitive biases cause us to make judgments without having all the information, and it happens unintentionally. Researchers have found that “the brain seeks simplicity and it does so by categorizing people and things in order to more easily and instantaneously assess how those people or things compare to or affect us”; further, we are “biochemically disposed” to think empathetically about others like us because it mirrors the generosity we extend to ourselves (Davis, 2020). While the science behind bias may make overcoming it sound like a daunting task, like any other life change, it begins with the acknowledgement that something is amiss and a desire to be better. The Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity (2012) at Ohio State University says that biases are malleable and that “the implicit associations that we have formed can be gradually unlearned through a variety of debiasing techniques.” Debiasing techniques can range from awareness trainings to video game simulations. They all have the goal of raising your awareness so that you can base decisions on more complete information and take fewer cognitive shortcuts. As a matter of fact, by reading this chapter and reflecting on your biases, you are already utilizing one type of debiasing technique. Just as the separation anxiety and stranger danger of childhood give way to more inclusive forms of socialization as you grow, you can unlearn bias and learn new ways
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those who are like them. Sometimes, this has negative consequences for those unlike them. This usually happens when we find ourselves confronted with a reality that is incongruent with our beliefs about that reality. This dissonance can cause us to unintentionally disenfranchise others. For example, imagine that five male students walk into Advanced Placement (AP) algebra class wearing school team gear and carrying basketballs. A teacher might immediately point them in the direction of the regular mathematics class down the hall. This is because athletes, especially male athletes, are often depicted as students who struggle academically. The reality of five athletes in AP mathematics is incongruent with this teacher’s picture of the typical AP student; she’s experiencing cognitive dissonance. Alternately, if the five boys were known to be last year’s science fair winners, they would probably be welcomed in without much ado. In either situation, the teacher would not be displaying an intentional bias. Yet, such a reaction affects how a teacher welcomes—or does not welcome—students.
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