Understanding Unconscious Bias and Unintentional Racism

March 30, 2009Nassau Tract

Jean Moule, PhDOregon State University

Our Children Are Like Seedlings

Cared for by Parents

Planted in Homes and Communities

Living in Families Who Nurture Their Early Areas of Strength

In Hopes That These Trees Will Grow to Their Full Potential

Balled up and sent to Us!

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

What kind of weather??

Surviving maybe

Thriving

Some Problems

Achievement Gap PersistsClassrooms Becoming More

DiverseShortage of Teacher DiversityRacial/Ethnic Mismatch Between

Students and Teachers

Question

How does this mismatch between

students and teachers inform

the achievement gap?

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

I am absolved from racism because….

~Thompson, 2003

Absolution

Matt’s Story

In an ambiguous situation one may remember details in a way that confirms one’s stereotype.

~Diller & Moule, 2005

Reconstruction

Ambiguous Image

Examples of Unconscious Biases

Jamal and Keisha or John and Emily

Co-worker Study Stereotype Threat

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

Look, Mommy,…..

Doll “Studies”

2006 2009

1954

The demo doll

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

Airport Story Denial

Distraction

Absolution

Blame the Victim

Guilt

Racial Identity Development

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

Who took it?

Who was surprised by the results?

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

Teachers

Students

Refers to being at-risk of confirming, as self-characteristic, a negative stereotype about one’s group.

~Steele & Aronson, 1995

Stereotype Threat

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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Stereotype threat consequences:

Decreased short term task performance

Decreased achievement test performance

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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

What can we do?

Teach Persistence

School

Family

Community

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

Growing Strong, Moving On

Thriving

Growing as a TREE…

…Bringing Forth Fruit in Season