Although I have taken an Implicit Bias Test in the past and studied why they work in other classes, I always try to push back against the answers that they give me. This time, I took the Arab Muslims vs Other people test and came out with a slight preference to Other people. When I first read that, I was actually annoyed, I thought it had to be some sort of error because I am not racist or islamiphobic. But after some consideration, I realized that the results do not make me either, it just means that I have been conditioned to associated Arab names with worse outcomes than other names. Ususally, when I hear these names they are connected to a recent terrorist attack, a fictional villan, or a dictator of some far away country. Of course I know that someone named Mohammed is no more likely to be a terrorist than someone named Mike, but the media only tells one, unflatering side of the story describing the Mohammeds of the world. I think that these bias tests should become more common to show people the biases they have that they would rather ignore so that they can fix the causes of those biases. I know that for me, from now on I will try to recognize my automatic thoughts towards others and I think others would do the same.
Critical Thinking
Interesting reflection Margot. I thought it was interesting of you to say that you prefer to fight back against the results of implicit bias exams and was wondering why you do. I definitely have felt that there are times where the results I get aren’t the ones I was looking for, but I liked the reflection you made afterwards. I think there is also a lot to be said about the fact people feel shame towards their biases, when in reality we have very little control over if we have them or not. We may have a responsibility to fight back on them, but I agree with what you said. In lots of ways I think we live in a very Islamiphobic society so it’s no surprise some of it has “rubbed off” on us.
I think your point about being conditioned to associate certain identifiers with certain meanings is really important. I’m like you in the sense that I do not want to be biased, but there is something so unintentional or involuntary about it. I found myself stressing so much about associating the right traits with the right keys I was supposed to press or the categories they went it just to prove the test wrong. But regardless, I still have implicit biases that are hard to have control over. Recognizing them and being conscious, though, is really important.