Don’t freak out—we all have unconscious bias. It’s part of being human. Most of us don’t even realize it’s there, yet it influences our thoughts, decisions, and actions every day. These biases are deeply ingrained in our minds. They’re based in our personal experiences, background, and preconceived notions—as well as our culture and our societal stereotypes. Our biases play a major role in the way we interact with others; yet, they’re never spoken out loud.
Unconscious bias—also known as implicit bias—refers to the attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding and behavior without us being aware of them. Because these biases operate beneath the surface, they often go unnoticed; yet, they influence decision-making and the dynamics of our professional and personal relationships. Unconscious bias is triggered by our brains automatically, especially when we’re making quick judgments and assessments, which are processed through our acquired and accumulated filters.
As we age, our perceptions continue to change, our perspectives continue to shift, and thus our biases continue to increase. We age with more self-awareness because we have more time to reflect on our reactions and responses. We become more aware of our unconscious biases—and age becomes a factor in how we express our biases.
To put unconscious bias into perspective, here are brief descriptions for some common biases, (Credit: Asana.com). Use the links below for more information.
1. Gender Bias—Making assumptions about someone’s abilities or roles based on gender.
2. Beauty Bias—Believing more attractive people are more competent or capable.
3. Conformity Bias—Shifting our views or decisions to align with a group, even if they goes against ours.
4. Affinity Bias—Being attracted to people who share similarities with us, which can lead to favoritism.
5. Confirmation Bias—Trusting information that supports our preexisting beliefs while ignoring any contradictions.
As we age, we can learn to disrupt our unconscious biases, which will help us create better engagements, more sound decisions, and more informed judgements. This is successful aging information everyone of any age can use.