Understanding Unconscious Bias and Unintentional Racism March 30, 2009 Nassau Tract Jean Moule, PhD Oregon State University
Dec 15, 2015
Understanding Unconscious Bias and Unintentional Racism
March 30, 2009Nassau Tract
Jean Moule, PhDOregon State University
A Teacher's Revelation:
I've come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive
element in the classroom.It's my personal approach that creates the climate. It's my daily mood that makes the weather.As a teacher I possess a tremendous power to make a child's
life miserable or joyous.I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration.I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal.In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a
crisis will be escalated or de-escalated, and a child
humanized or de-humanized.
-- Haim Ginot, Child Psychologist
Some Problems
Achievement Gap PersistsClassrooms Becoming More
DiverseShortage of Teacher DiversityRacial/Ethnic Mismatch Between
Students and Teachers
3rd GRADE MATHEMATICS MULTIPLE CHOICE Percent of Students Meeting Standards1997 through 2006
Native American81
Asian/Pacif ic Is lander90
Af rican American
87
Hispanic74
White90
A ll Students86
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006From 2002 to 2004, the percent students meeting the mathematics multiple choice standards climbed steadily for all race/ethnicities and special education. In 2005, all race/ethnicities posted increases.
Percent of Students Meeting Standards
1996 through 2001 percents include only students tested under standard conditions at or above grade level .
2002 through 2004 percents include ALL students tested .
2005 and 2006 results dif fer f rom the 2004 results in the follow ing w ays:
_Test scores are aggregated to the school, district, and state level based on the student resident district as of May 2, 2005. In 2004,
test scores w ere aggregated based on the resident district at the time the test w as taken.
_Regardless of w here the student took the test, the highest score available is reported.
_As per NCLB, beginning LEP students w ere not included in the results. In 2004, beginning LEP students w ere included in the results.
79
65
Multi racial
Special Education
10th GRADE READING Percent of Students Meeting the Standards1997 through 2006
Native American42
Asian/Pacif ic Is lander58
A f rican American32
Hispanic27
White60
Multi-racial52A ll Students55
Special Education15
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
From 2005 to 2006, the percent of students meeting the reading standards increased for all categories except
M ulti-Racial. Native American students posted the biggest increase.
Percent of Students Meeting Standards
1996 through 2001 percents include only students tested under standard conditions at or above grade level .
2002 through 2004 percents include ALL students tested .
2005 and 2006 results dif fer f rom the 2004 results in the follow ing w ays:
_Test scores are aggregated to the school, district, and state level based on the student resident district as of May 2, 2005. In 2004,
test scores w ere aggregated based on the resident district at the time the test w as taken.
_Regardless of w here the student took the test, the highest score available is reported.
_As per NCLB, beginning LEP students w ere not included in the results. In 2004, beginning LEP students w ere included in the results.
“Liberal educators believe themselves to be operating with good intentions, but these good intentions are only conscious delusions about their unconscious motives.”~Delpit, 1988, p. 285
Re-fencing Absolution Reconstruct Aversive Racism Amygdala “Integrity” Stereotype Stereotype Threat
Definitions..
"When a fact cannot fit into a mental field, the exception is acknowledged, but the field is hastily fenced in again and not allowed to remain dangerously open.”
~Allport,1954, p. 23
Re-fencing
In an ambiguous situation one may remember details in a way that confirms one’s stereotype.
~Diller & Moule, 2005
Reconstruction
Lean forward a little lessBe less expressiveMaintain less eye contactStand a little further awaySmile a lot lessHesitate and stumble over words a bitLaugh at jokes a bit less
~Gladwell, 2005, p.85
Non-verbal
Source: Dovidio, J. F., & Gaertner, S. L. (Winter, 2005). Color blind or just plain blind. The Nonprofit Quarterly, 12(4).
White member of pair Time to Complete Task with a Black
person
Unbiased in word an d behav ior
Biased in word a nd be hav ior
Unb iased by se lf-report,
behav ior shows bias
Biased and unbias ed White individuals’ time to com plete paire d tas k.
Unconscious Biases at Work
4 minutes
5 minutes
6 minutes
White response: Related to publicly expressed attitude
Black response: Related to unconscious attitude
“The contradiction that exists when the denial of personal prejudice co-exists with underlying unconscious negative feelings and beliefs.”
~Dovidio & Gaertner, 2005, p. 2
Aversive Racism
“Although many white Americans consider themselves unbiased, when unconscious stereotypes are measured, some 90% implicitly link blacks with negative traits (evil, failure)."
~Begley, 2004, p. 1
Part of the brain that has instant activity in a “flight or fight” reaction upon encountering an unexpected person or situation.
~Begley, 2004
Amygdala
Changing that first reaction in a nanosecond in order to overcome built-in biases and respond as their better, undiscriminating selves.
Conscious Override
Decreasing levels of control:WordsFacial ExpressionsBody languageTone of voice
~Benari, personal communication, 2009
Integrity
We are far better off acknowledging our possible biases and trying to work together openly with that knowledge.~Moule, 2009
A simplistic image or distorted truth about a group based on a prejudgment of habits, traits, abilities, or expectations.
~Weinstein & Mellen, 1997
Stereotype
We need to become less focused on feeling very tolerant and good about ourselves and more focused on examining our own biases.
~Moule, 2009
When a person of color brings up race as an issue--listen deeply
If the person indicates that he or she is offended, don’t be defensive
Do not begin to talk quickly Do not explain why they are misinterpreting the situation Do not begin crying
~Dovidio & Gaertner, 2005. P. 5
When Race Becomes an Issue
We make connections more quickly between pairs of ideas that are already related in our minds, as opposed to those that are unfamiliar
May indicate "little or no bias" or a bias rated as "slight", "moderate" or "strong"
The IAT: Implicit Association Test
“We would like to believe that when a person has a conscious commitment to change, the very act of discovering one’s hidden biases can propel one to act to correct it.”
~Teaching Tolerance, 2001, p. 4
“It may not be possible to avoid the automatic stereotype or prejudice, but it is certainly possible to consciously rectify it.”~Teaching Tolerance, 2001, p. 4
Refers to being at-risk of confirming, as self-characteristic, a negative stereotype about one’s group.
~Steele & Aronson, 1995
Stereotype Threat
47
Example:
In several experiments Black college freshmen and sophomores performed more poorly on standardized tests than White students when their race was emphasized. When race was not emphasized, however, Black students performed better and equivalently with White students.
48
Documented in a large number of groups Women on math tests
(Spencer, Steele & Quinn,1999)
African-Americans on standardized tests(Steele & Aronson, 1995)
Hispanics on standardized tests(Gonzales, Blanton & Williams, 2002)
Low SES students on standardized tests(Croizet & Claire, 1998)
Women on negotiation tasks(Kray, Galinsky & Thompson, 2002)
Men on social sensitivity tasks(Koenig & Eagly, 2005)
Whites on tasks that require being non-racist(Richeson & Shelton, 2003)
White men (compared with Black men) on athletic tasks(Stone, Sjomeling, Lynch, & Darley, 1999)
White men (compared with Asian men) on math tests(Aronson, Lustinga, Good, Keough, Steele, & Brown,1999)
~List from Block, Roberson & Merriweather
49
Stereotype threat:
Occurs when individuals are in a performance situation and are aware that there is a negative stereotype about their group that suggests they will not perform well
Occurs regardless of whether the individual believes the stereotype
Occurs regardless of the accuracy of the stereotype
50
Stereotype contexts:
The task an individual is performing is relevant to the stereotype
The task is challenging
The context in which the task is being performed is likely to reinforce the stereotype
51
Stereotype threat consequences:
Decreased short term task performance
Decreased achievement test performance
52
Stereotype threat changes performance:
Physiological arousal Reduced working memory capacity Anxiety Excess effort Lowered performance expectations
Source: www.ReducingStereotypeThreat.org
Intelligent, motivated student faces a difficult, stereotype relevant test
Search for explanation of difficulty
Others assume that student performance accurately reflects ability
Student performs test, but performance is disrupted by
stereotype threat
Student becomes frustrated and
demotivated
Stereotype comes to mind
Context reinforcesstereotype
Chart from Block, Roberson, & Merriweather, 2008
Suggestions for Overcoming Stereotype Threat
Source: http://reducingstereotypethreat.org/reduce.html
.
•Reframing the task
•De-emphasizing threatened social identities
•Encouraging self-affirmation
•Emphasizing high standards with assurances of capability
•Providing role models
•Providing external attributions for difficulty
•Emphasizing an incremental view of ability