Definition of Implicit Bias
History and Mechanism
Implicit bias occurs when a person unconsciously holds negative perceptions regarding a particular person or group in mind. The phenomenon was first established by Anthony Greenwald and Mahzarin Banaji in 1995 (Wong & Vinsky, 2021). The two psychologists contended that unconscious associations and verdicts primarily impact social behavior. It is also called unconscious bias and amounts to some form of prejudice. This has been proven by scientists who have established that humans only have five percent conscious access to their brains. This means that a lot of work in the brain occurs on the unconscious level.
Therefore, an implicit bias means that a person’s brain works in a way that makes associations and generalizations. Rodgers et al. (2021) argue that even as implicit bias is considered normal, people may often attribute certain qualities or characteristics to a particular person or all members of a specific group through stereotyping. Implicit biases are detrimental as they influence how people observe and interact with others. These actions can cause people to depersonalize others from different groups based on perceived characteristics and affect social work practice.
Manifestation
People manifest implicit biases across varied domains of society. On an interpersonal level, they can manifest in simple everyday interactions through specific actions (or microaggressions) that make others feel uneasy. Affected persons can also note particular prejudices an individual may hold against them. Wong and Vinsky (2021) state that several implicit biases are prevalent. They include race and ethnicity bias, community bias, gender bias, age bias, beauty bias, name bias, and ability bias, among others.
Example of the US
In the United States, implicit bias is predominantly manifested through racial stereotypes. Most Americans automatically prefer one race over another, even though they may not know it. It commonly occurs as a microaggression, which is unpretentious, mechanical, and largely nonverbal.
An individual commits a microaggression by conversing in a derogatory, hostile, or prejudiced way, an insult toward a particular group. In addition, implicit bias can transpire through small interpersonal interactions and has broader implications in social work practice (Wong & Vinsky, 2021). For instance, a social worker may have an implicit stereotype that associates Black Americans with violence and, as a result, may choose not to provide social advocacy for them.
The Implications for Implicit Bias in Generalist Social Work Practice
Healthcare
Furthermore, implicit bias can affect social services in the provision of health care. People can be prejudiced against women or racial and ethnic minorities and may be subjected to fewer medical social services, such as testing for particular illnesses or community immunization programs. In addition, Black children may not be attended to at all or be accorded the same level of care or compassion as that provided for White children. It is common to encounter implicit bias in the provision of social services touching on the law (Rodgers et al., 2021). Shootings are prevalent in the United States, and young people are widely involved.
Legal Protection
When seeking to offer counseling and legal services to potential perpetrators, there is a high likelihood of associating the cases with Black individuals more often than White civilians. The same pattern is repeated when conducting social experiments and in actual arrests. Black juveniles encounter higher arrest rates and are subjected to disproportionately harsher sentences than their White peers. They are often treated as less innocent, less childlike, more responsible for their actions, more culpable, and suitable targets for police violence.
Employment
Another implication of implicit bias comes in the distribution of social work jobs. Prejudice may occur in the selection process, where successful candidates may be picked depending on their age, race, gender, or beauty. For instance, white and black job seekers may send similar resumes to employers, but white applicants will probably be called in for interviews. Even though organizations may desire to reduce potential bias in hiring, nuanced implicit biases may still affect other hiring processes, including assigning duties and responsibilities or promotions to advanced positions. The pattern can further be replicated through the education system.
Education
Wong and Vinsky (2021) note that implicit bias involves a high level of stereotype threat, where people internalize hostile generalizations about themselves based on group associations. For instance, young boys may often internalize implicit perspectives related to gender and choose social work as a career. There is an additional association between implicit bias and how it influences teachers’ responses to student behavior. This indicates that implicit attitudes can significantly impact academic access and educational achievement.
Importance of Awareness of Implicit Bias
It is a fact that implicit bias mainly operates below the level of awareness, making it challenging to figure out specific actions. However, people need to understand that they possess an unconscious bias, and acknowledgment enables acceptance of some level of accountability and responsibility to allow a difference to be made. Rodgers et al. (2021) state that people can comprehend their inherent beliefs and values through self-reflection and consider how they might lead to implicit bias. Implicit bias has infiltrated the most common sectors of society and cuts across race, gender, and age. Gaining personal awareness allows workers to accept their wrong mindsets and conduct, and stay on the right path when faced with the threat of implicit bias.
References
Rogerson, C. V., Prescott, D. E., & Howard, H. G. (2021). Teaching social work students the influence of explicit and implicit bias: Promoting ethical reflection in practice. Social Work Education, 1–12. Web.
Wong, Y.-L. R., & Vinsky, J. (2021). Beyond implicit bias: Embodied cognition, mindfulness, and critical reflective practice in social work. Australian Social Work, 74(2), 186–197. Web.