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Published Sep 3, 2020

399: Jennifer L. Eberhardt | The Science of Why We're Biased

Stanford psychology professor Jennifer L. Eberhardt delves into the pervasive nature of bias, revealing its impact on societal perceptions from policing to real estate, and highlights the limitations of bias training while stressing the importance of early intervention and personal relationships in mitigating prejudice.
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  • Visual Distortion

    The perception of individuals from different races can be distorted by biases, affecting how we interpret physical attributes like size and aggression. explains that studies have shown people often perceive African Americans as taller, heavier, and more threatening than they actually are, which can influence the justification of force used against them 1. This bias extends to facial expressions, where anger is perceived to linger longer on black faces compared to others 2.

    When we see black faces, we're more likely to quickly see a gun or a weapon, even if it's not there.

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    Such perceptions can have serious implications, especially in law enforcement, where these biases may lead to disproportionate actions 1.

       

    Categorizing Faces

    Our brains categorize faces based on race, often leading to a dulling of response to faces of other races. discusses a study where white participants showed less brain activity when viewing black faces, even if they were different individuals, compared to white faces 3. This phenomenon, known as repetition suppression, suggests that our brains may unconsciously lump individuals of other races together 4.

    It's almost as though, even though they're different faces, you're showing a black face and then another black face and another black face.

    --- Jennifer Eberhardt

    This categorization affects how we perceive and interact with people of different races, often reinforcing stereotypes and biases.

       

    Racial Bias in Children

    Children's perceptions of race are shaped by societal influences and personal experiences, often leading to early development of biases. shares a poignant story of her son expressing an unfounded fear of a black man on a plane, highlighting how deeply ingrained these biases can become, even at a young age 5. She emphasizes that children absorb these biases from observing adult behaviors and societal cues 6.

    This association between blackness and crime made its way into the mind of my five-year-old and it makes its way into all of our children.

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    Understanding how these perceptions form is crucial in addressing and mitigating racial bias from an early age.

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