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Robinson Tequila Topic Proposal
Robinson Tequila Topic Proposal
Tequila Robinson
UWRT 1104
02/17/2017
Introduction/Overview
I will be examining the development of bias and implicit social cognition, or implicit
bias. I will also be exploring the effects of implicit bias on human behavior and analyzing the
role of implicit biases in cultivating social inequities with a focus on race relations in America.
Although once believed that only bigoted people used stereotypes, studies of implicit bias
reveal that people unconsciously use them all the time (Psychology Today). The Kirwan Institute
for the Study of Race and Ethnicity refers to implicit bias, also referred to as implicit social
cognition, as the attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in
an unconscious manner. Implicit bias occurs when one consciously rejects stereotypes but
Previously, psychologists who studied stereotyping based their research on records of participant
feelings towards minority groups and used their answers as an index of their attitudes, but
researchers now understand that conscious replies do not tell the whole truth (Psychology
Today). Developed by a Harvard-led research team, the Implicit Association Test (IAT) found a
significant degree of implicit bias among those testedeven among those that honestly asserted
they held no prejudices. Psychology professor at Yale University and member of minority ethnic
group, Mahzarin Banaji, was surprised when she took one of her own tests of unconscious bias
Critics of the IAT and other measures of implicit bias argue the measures as being
arbitrary and dependent on social context, as many peoples scores often change from one test to
another. Some even go as far as to call the research a fad. Some also comment these measures
may simply be used as a tool to get people thinking about implicit bias and that the associations
made are not true unconscious attitudes. (American Psychological Association). There is no
concrete evidence that laboratory studies reflect real-life situations, however, there is growing
evidence that, in many situations, hidden biases are related to discriminatory behavior (Southern
Poverty Law Center). The Southern Poverty Law Center believes the research on implicit bias
can lead to the understanding of the disparity between public opinion and the amount of
My preliminary research included many articles from Psychology Today as well as The
Southern Poverty Law Centers Teaching Tolerance webpage. The Teaching Tolerance webpage
led me to Harvards Project Implicit, where I began to learn about the different tests used to
measure implicit bias. I also found information via The Ohio State Universitys Kirwan Institute
for the Study of Race and Ethnicity on implicit bias and the PsycINFO database on the
development of bias. The website of the American Psychological Association also proved useful
prejudiced or discriminatory way when they are adamant about being not prejudiced. My
curiosity is reinforced when I think of the many friends I had to let go of during and after the
election season because of their support of Trump and his ideologies. The Im-not-racist-I-once-
cognitive reassurance that most people arent just trying to protect their reputations and
conscience by declaring they are not prejudiced and that they truly are ignorant. I hope that by
learning about implicit biases, I can monitor my own and attempt to correct my hidden attitudes
Also, one of my majors is psychology and I thoroughly enjoy learning about theories and
Next Steps
I will be visiting the PSYCInfo database to find more information on research about the
development of bias. I will also continue exploring Psychology Today and the American
development and implementation of measures such as the Implicit Association Test. I have also
found books from Yale professor Mahzarin R. Banaji and her colleagues on their research on
hidden biases and what people can do to confront and combat them. I will also use information
from the Kirwan Institute, the Society for Human Resource Management, and other resources
that connect implicit bias to behavior to connect implicit bias with everyday life.