6.1 States of Consciousness

The relationship between consciousness and bias is complex because bias can be explicit or implicit. As discussed in Chapter 15, explicit bias refers to blatant biases, which are the continuous beliefs and attitudes that people have that express hostility toward another group. Some explicit biases in history include the views of members of hate groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan, and members of Hitler’s Nazi party. More recently, during the COVID-19 pandemic, some people held stigmas and exhibited discriminatory behavior toward Chinese and other Asian individuals (Misra et al., 2020).

However, we are not aware of all the biases that we hold. Implicit biases exist below our consciousness. As discussed in Chapter 15, these kinds of biases are often automatic, ambiguous, and ambivalent. For example, imagine a hiring manager is choosing between two equally competent candidates. One candidate is a woman, and the other candidate is a man. The hiring manager may not be aware of negative attitudes they hold about women, but they may automatically distance themself from the woman candidate during the interview. Implicit bias can be found in different settings. For example, in healthcare settings, implicit biases regarding race, gender, and weight exist and can lead to disparities in patient care, including misdiagnoses, inadequate pain management, and overall poorer health outcomes for marginalized groups (Gopal et al., 2021).

Figure 6.1. The Bias Iceberg. [Image Description]

Image Descriptions

Figure 6.1 Image Description. The image depicts an iceberg diagram illustrating the concept of conscious and unconscious bias. The iceberg is divided into two sections. The upper section, which is above the waterline, is colored yellow and labeled “Conscious Bias.” Below it, in blue, is the submerged section labeled “Unconscious Bias.” The line demarcating the water’s surface is labeled “Line of Consciousness.” The background is a simple gradient, transitioning from white at the top to blue at the bottom. Text explanations are provided for both types of bias, with “Conscious Bias” described next to the iceberg’s tip, and “Unconscious Bias” next to the submerged part. Transcribed Text:  LINE OF CONSCIOUSNESS. Conscious Bias: Self-aware intentions and predeterminations of people based on explicit prejudice or stereotypes. Unconscious Bias: Unconscious attitudes or beliefs we hold about different groups of people, as a response of our neurological shortcuts [Return to Figure 6.1]