Page 11 - The MILConnection: Fall 2021

Employee stories

What’s your blind spot?

The September issue of MIL’s The Leadership Line newsletter highlighted several types of “unconscious bias” to get managers
thinking about their predispositions and to help them recognize their hidden prejudices. In their book Blindspot: Hidden Biases
of Good People, authors Mahzarin R. Banaji and Anthony G. Greenwald—both university psychology professors—explored
the world of unconscious bias. An unconscious or implicit bias is a social stereotype (both positive and negative) about certain
groups of people that an individual forms outside of their own conscious awareness. According to the authors, “blindspots hide
both discriminations and privileges, so neither the discriminators nor the targets of discrimination, neither those who do the
privileging nor the privileged, are aware.”

Merriam-Webster defines a “blind spot” as an area in which one fails to exercise judgment or discrimination. It also notes that it
can represent a portion of a field that cannot be seen or inspected with available equipment.
Do you know where your blind spots are? Consider expanding your field of vision by learning how to recognize implicit bias in
yourself and others. Here are a few common types of unconscious biases.

Be aware that we all harbor unconscious attitudes. We look for and find patterns and rely on assumptions and stereotypes to help
us quickly categorize individuals. It’s one way we’ve all learned to navigate an increasingly complex world full of people we may
not fully understand.

Types of Unconscious Bias

Beauty Bias

Judging people on their looks

Affinity Bias
Describes our tendency to feel as though we
have a natural connection with people who Attribution Bias
are similar to us Judgments and assumptions about why
people behave in certain ways.

Horns Effect
One’s perception of another to be unduly Conformity Bias
influenced by a single negative trait. Changing your views to match others

Confirmation Bias Halo Effect

Looking for evidence for negative When we project positive qualities onto
assumptions people without actually knowing them.

Fall 2021 | The MIL Connection | 11