Making judgments quickly through generalization is part of the human psychology. To process information quickly and efficiently to make decisions throughout the day, the brain tends to create stereotypes that are shaped by experiences and information absorbed over a lifetime. This information that the brain uses to create generalizations may be true or false, and it is often unconsciously held. It frequently comes from dubious sources such as our parents’ beliefs and what we’ve seen on television.
Therefore, we all hold unconscious biases. This might shape our unconscious attitudes toward any person whom we consider different from us. When people’s unconscious biases shape their behavior in the workplace, this can be problematic and can contribute to the creation of a hostile environment with toxicity and disputes.
This is why many services now offer unconscious bias training for workplaces. This training can help employees reassess their deeply-held beliefs.
What is unconscious bias training?
Unconscious bias training can be conducted in workplaces and schools. It helps people recognize their unconscious biases — beliefs about people and stereotypes that they make without ever realizing. This can be done through Implicit Association Tests (IATs).
Once unconscious biases are recognized and understood, people can begin to make conscious changes to shift their thinking. This is why unconscious bias training has been shown to lower discrimination and workplace disputes.
If you want to work to prevent litigation against your company in Pennsylvania, you may want to consider unconscious bias training as a tool to help improve relationships in the workplace and the way in which employees treat one another.