Understanding My Prejudices
In a long-ago introduction to psychology class, I was exposed to Project Implicit or the well-known Harvard Implicit bias test. Most likely to introduce my fellow students and me to a subject that many psychologists are familiar with; forms of unconscious bias the public holds. The Implicit Bias Test allows for the penetration of overt or personal bias concealment, evaluating beliefs that individuals are reluctant or unable to disclose.
I was somewhat surprised by my findings after taking all the tests. I was raised in a Cuban home while growing up in a suburban-urban setting. Despite growing up with primarily Latinx people around me and at school, I’ve grown conscious of how various preconceptions and conventions I was exposed to have influenced my biases. Overall, I was pleased not to have an automatic preference in most tests, especially the skin tone, race weapons, and race IATs. I feel these are critical to understanding and unraveling specific prejudices in the global mental health context as a white Latina woman.
The gender-career test findings, I suppose, were the most startling to me. My replies indicated a small instinctive link between male and family and female and career. This outcome essentially surprised me because, despite living in a primarily patriarchal environment, I have been able to overcome the prejudice of males being the primary holders of job positions. However, I feel that being raised by a single, full-time working mother significantly impacted this bias.
My sexuality IAT showed I hold a minor preference for homosexual individuals over heterosexual ones. Given my sexual orientation and research emphasis on LGBTQ+ individuals, I can see why this bias exists. As a side note, I didn’t appreciate that test included no photographs of women loving women, only gay men (and perhaps it would be helpful to refrain from displaying biases about homosexuality in the exam itself).
My innate preference for Judaism over Christianity was another prejudice that became apparent in these tests. Coming from a non-religious upbringing, I’ve never been particularly interested in or involved in religion. However, most of my exposure to Christianity has been from the perspectives of my loved ones. Particularly in their feeling ostracized for leaving the church after realizing their ideas were incompatible with Christian beliefs. I have personally understood what may happen to those who may experience “Christian guilt,” and perhaps that is why I have an unconscious preference for Judaism over Christianity.
Regardless, they are still biases I hold. To be a better clinician or researcher, I must recognize and be aware of my prejudices as a person who seeks to better comprehend our society and its inhabitants. These biases also need to be considered within my work with Clowns Without Borders. If we want to eliminate preconceived notions in order to develop a better community for all of us, I think the first step must be taken on an individual level. These personal changes have the potential to influence our interpersonal, institutional, and cultural bias levels. Each of us understanding our biases informs us of the concealed ones, enabling us to be more conscious of them in our everyday lives, behaviors, and ideas.
References
Karen Pace, M. S. U. E. (2021, March 9). Address issues of bias and bullying at four levels. MSU Extension. Retrieved from https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/address_issues_of_bias_and_bullying_at_four_levels
