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

Policing Biases

Biases in policing significantly affect law enforcement practices, particularly in urban settings. Jennifer Eberhardt highlights how racial bias influences stop-and-frisk practices, revealing that African-Americans are disproportionately targeted and subjected to force, despite low rates of weapon possession 1. This bias is further compounded by perceptions that reinforce stereotypes, as Jordan Harbinger notes, "If we have bias and then we constantly look to reinforce that bias, but then we also don't see that bias, well, then our bias just gets stronger and stronger and stronger."

If we have bias and then we constantly look to reinforce that bias, but then we also don't see that bias, well, then our bias just gets stronger and stronger and stronger.

--- Jordan Harbinger

Eberhardt also shares a story of a black police officer who unknowingly profiled himself, illustrating how deeply ingrained these biases can be, even among those who are aware of them 2.

   

Real Estate Bias

Racial bias extends beyond individuals to affect real estate perceptions and valuations. Eberhardt's research shows that homes in black neighborhoods are valued less than those in white neighborhoods, even when the homes are identical 3. In a controlled study, participants evaluated a house more negatively when a black family was depicted as the owners, imagining the neighborhood as more run-down and crime-ridden. This bias also influences economic opportunities, as seen in the practice of "whitening resumes," where individuals alter their names to sound less ethnic to increase job prospects 4.

They evaluate the house more negatively when there's a black family standing in it.

--- Jennifer Eberhardt

Such biases not only affect property values but also perpetuate economic disparities, impacting wealth accumulation for minority families.