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Understanding Cognitive BiasGretal Leibnitz, Ph.D., Washington State University

Entomological Society of America– 10 July 2013

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Cognitive Bias

“Unconscious patterns of thought which have the unintended effect of conferring advantage to some and

disadvantage to others”

(Krieger 1995; Reskin 2000)

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Pre-Training Homework

Comments about Ohio State Search Committee Implicit Bias Training: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZHxFU7TYo4&feature=plcp

Reviewing Applicants 3rd Edition (2012). Women in Science and Engineering Leadership Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison. http://wiseli.engr.wisc.edu/docs/BiasBrochure_3rdEd.pdf

Johnson, A. G. (2006). “Privilege, oppression and difference,” Privilege, Power, and Difference (2nd Edition.) McGraw-Hill. New York. (p 12-40).

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Ohio State University Training Overview

Biases hide in plain sight.How can we chip away at

pervasive schemas? Be mindful in your decisions.

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Part 1: Setting the Stage

Academic History and Bias Research Overview

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Bias in the Academy(1970) Dr. Fox Experiment

Actor Michael Fox (not Michael J. Fox!)

Lectured at USC Med School faculty conference Mathematical Game Theory as Applied to

Physician Education Meaningless double-talk, non-sequiturs,

contradictions, jargonThree separate professional audiences

gave overwhelmingly positive evaluations despite meaningless content!

Naftulin, D., Ware, J., and Donnelly, F. (1973). The Doctor Fox Lecture: A Paradigm of Educational Seduction. Journal of Medical Education, vol. 48, p. 630-635.

Doctor Fox Lecture video: http://ecclesiastes911.net/dr_fox/video.html

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o At every level of productivity, as measured by impact scores, women were rated as less competent.

Evaluation Bias in the Academy: (1997) Nature Study

Swedish Medical Research Council peer reviewers exhibit unintentional sex bias in scientific merit decisions. (Wenneras & Wold (1997) http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v387/n6631/pdf/387341a0.pdf )

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Letters of Recommendation Bias(2003) Trix & Psenka

Letters written for men emphasized competence traits (e.g., achievements, research, and successes)

Letters written for women emphasized interpersonal traits (e.g., compassion, teaching, relationships)

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More Bias in the Academy: (2012) PNAS

Despite identical application materials, faculty (regardless of sex) rated the male applicant as more competent and hirable, and conferred upon him a significantly higher salary. Moss-Racusin et al. (2012) http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2012/09/14/1211286109.full.pdf+html?with-ds=yes

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Disrupting the Bias (2012) Nature

In 2010–11, Nature published too few women authors in News and Views (i.e., “in life, physical and Earth sciences women authors were 17%, 8% and 4%, respectively…”)

D. Conley & J. Stadmark, (2012). Nature, 488, 590.

“There is a need for every editor to ask themselves, ‘Who are the five women I could ask?’”

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In Social Systems• Identity is socially

constructed• We learn social and

cultural values • May be influenced

by past/hidden prejudices

Humans develop cognitive schemas

• Mental “file-folders” of information about categories of persons, places, things,

• These serve as mental models/prototypes/expectancies

How does Cognitive Bias Occur?

Shortcuts can lead to unintended

discrimination and erroneous

decisions

As we encounter individuals…

For efficiency, all humans use pre-conscious cognitive shortcuts • social = stereotypes • information = cognitive

heuristicsto interpret/predict behavior and inform reactions

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Stage 2: Implicit Social Bias

Implicit Construction of Social Bias

Implicit Association Measurement

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Formation of Unconscious Sex Biases

Social Systems: Unequal gender distribution in certain roles creates implicit associations [Eagly (1987); Glick & Fiske (1996)]

Cognitive Schemas or Mental “File-folders”: o Domain specific (i.e., Work = male, Family = female);

(Science = male, Arts = female); (Leader = male; Follower = female)

o Generalize to traits (i.e., male = independent, competent, assertive; female = cooperative, warm, submissive)

Ultimately, manifest in reflexive bias…o Can be at odds with conscious goals; can influence

attention, perception, judgment and behavior

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Measuring Unconscious Bias

The Implicit Association Test (IAT) (Greenwald, McGhee, & Schwartz, 1998)

Measures strength of association between concepts Based on premise that associated concepts will be

easier to categorize together Scientific American Frontiers (7:57): http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RSVz6VEybk

Entomology-specific Implicit Association Test Activity

Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation

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Project Implicit Discussion

What did the test suggest about us?

How can taking these tests help us?

What are potential disadvantages of this awareness?

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• Stereotypes are automatic and are useful, to the extent that they are functional.

• Undoing established and pervasive cultural biases requires significant effort.

Reflection Point 1

• Both men and women hold implicit biases against women in STEM disciplines and leadership.

• We are all influenced by stereotypes.

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Recognizing Schemas Activities

Get-to-know-your-schemas (mental models) Activity Select an identity group other than your own (such as

nationality, race, age, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, ability/disability, etc.)

Write down stereotypes associated with that group Cross through those that you do not believe Recognize that if you can write them down, your pre-

conscious mind may be accessing them.

“In-Groups/Out-Groups” Thought HomeworkHow can you create interaction across groups?

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In-group and Out-group

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Stage 3: Information Processing “Mind Bugs”

Perception Errors and Cognitive Limitations

Common Biases and Attribution Errors

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What Biases and Attributions are Operating?

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Example Biases and Attribution Errors Handout

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Cognitive Processing Biases Activity

Select three biases and attribution errors that you recognize in yourself

Consider strategies to recognize and address these biases/attribution errors in different settings: When you are alone In a group

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Reflection Point 2

The way we perceive, judge and remember is often full of errors (feeling confident ≠ being accurate).

What we already know affects what we see; preconceived expectations influence judgments.

“Mind bugs” are ordinary: by-products of normal mental processes (e.g., memory,

perception, learned associations) unintentional (i.e., occur without awareness or control) all of us are prone to these errors

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Automatic (Intuition) Mindful (Reasoning)

RapidAutomatic EffortlessParallelAssociativeSlow-learningEmotionalShared w/other

animals

DeliberateIntentionalEffortfulSerialRule-governedFlexibleEmotionally neutralUnique to humans

Stage4: Types of Human Cognition

EFFICIENT Time-ConsumingACCURATE

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When does Automatic Thinking Occur?

Answering simple, rote questions (2 + 2)Orienting to a sudden soundReading words on large billboardsDriving a car on an empty roadDetecting hostility in a voiceResponding in emergenciesDetecting one object is more distant than anotherMaking judgments based on learning and

experience

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Automatic Assumptions can Lead to Poor Decisions

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When does Mindful Thinking Occur?

Focusing on a particular voice in a noisy roomLooking for a woman with white hairCounting occurrences of the letter “k” on a page of

textFilling out a tax formChecking the validity of a complex logical

argumentMonitoring the appropriateness of our behavior in

a social settingMultiplying 3-digit numbers togetherMaintaining a faster walking speed than normal

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Conflict between Automatic and Mindful Processing

1. Go down each column and say whether each word is printed in lowercase or upper case

2. Go down each column again and say whether each word is printed to the left or the right

LEFT

left

right

RIGHT

RIGHT

left

LEFT

right

upper

lower

LOWER

upper

UPPER

lower

LOWER

upper

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Reducing Bias by Promoting Mindfulness

Create conditions for Mindful thinking Take your time Limit distractions Focus your attention Manage your energy Manage your blood sugar

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Reducing Bias by Promoting Mindfulness

Develop processes that require Mindful thinking Include “reflection” breakpoints Encourage accuracy rather than efficiency Engage in deep evaluative conversations Look for value in different opinions Seek contrary information Consider all relevant data Establish external accountability

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Stage 5: Mindfulness Process

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Applied Individual Activities

“Mind-Bugs” Awareness Index (Self-Study) Practice:

Identifying how stereotypes bias evaluation of merit Recognizing bias in letters of recommendation (Letter 1; Letter 2) Become familiar with your own biases in terms of the

“Mind-Bugs” decision-making model (“Mind-Bugs” Handout)

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“Mind-Bugs” Awareness Self-Evaluation

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Evaluation of Merit

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(Letter 1: http://www.wordle.net/)

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(Letter 2: http://www.wordle.net/)

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“Mind-Bugs” in Decision-Making Handout

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Mindfulness Process (Continued)

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Interaction with Others

Practice: Communicating with colleagues about bias witnessed

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Communication Practice Handout

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Mindfulness Process (Continued)

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More Decision Process Activities

“Mind-Bugs” Biases Handout Discussion Identify top 3 biases (individually and for the group)

Build group ground-rules supporting mindfulness Discuss how to mindfully communicate to be understood

and to understand Discuss cues to identify when group is engaging in

“mindlessness” Discuss cues to identify when group is engaging in

“mindfulness” Identify “reflection” breakpointsBuild in a correction process(es)

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“Mind-Bugs” in Decision-Making Handout

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Mindfulness Process: Putting it all Together

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Next Steps

Elect a “Treasurer” ExerciseThink-Pair-Share Activity

Where are you going to apply this information?Reflection “Homework”

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Recruitment/Promotion Process Suggestions

Use gender-neutral job titles (e.g., chair not chairman) (McConnel & Fazio, 1996)

Identify and rank specific evaluation criteria prior to reviewing (Uhlmann & Cohen, 2005)

Reduce time pressure and distractions (Bertrand et al., 2005)

Mask applicant’s sex, race… (Goldin & Rouse, 2000)

Evaluate individuals across criteria to avoid “raising the bar” for non-traditional candidates (Nosek, 2012)Use the same criteria in all recommendation letters (e.g., emphasize applicants competence in research, teaching, service.) (Trix & Psenka, 2003)

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Reflection “Homework”

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Stage 6: Summary and Conclusion

Cognitive Bias : Cognitive Bias Development Model Implicit Social Biases Implicit Processing Biases

Types of Human Cognition Automatic Mindful

Overcoming bias Addressing schemas Promoting Mindful Thinking

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Thank you!

Presenter: Gretal Leibnitz

leibnitz@wsu.edu (509) 335-9739

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Recommended Resources

Banaji, M. & Greenwald, A. (2013). Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People. Delacorte Press, NY.

Bertrand, M. and Mullainathan, S. (2003). Are Emily and Greg more employable than Lakisha and Jamal? A field experiment on labor market discrimination. National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper No. 9873.

Bloom, L. (2012). The Cure for Corporate Stupidity: Avoid the Mind-BugsTM that Cause Smart People to Make Bad Decisions. Xmente, Atlanta.

Gutierrez y Muhs, G., Niemann, Y., Gonzalez, C., Harris, A. (2012). Presumed Incompetent: The Intersections of Race and Class for Women in Academia. University Press of Colorado, CO.

Johnson, A. G. (2006). Privilege, oppression and difference. Privilege, Power, and Difference (2nd Edition.) McGraw-Hill. New York. (p 12-40).

Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, Fast and Slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, NY. Krieger, L. (1995). The Content of our Categories. Stanford Law Review. McIntosh, P. (1989). White privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack website: http

://www.uakron.edu/dotAsset/1662103.pdf Naftulin, D., Ware, J., and Donnelly, F. (1973). The Doctor Fox lecture: A paradigm of educational

seduction. Journal of Medical Education, vol. 48, p. 630-635. Reskin, B. (2000). The Proximate causes of employment discrimination. Contemporary

Sociology, vol. 29, No. 2, p. 319-328. http://facultyhiring.uoregon.edu/files/2011/05/The-proximate-causes-of-employment-discrimination-28y5tsa.pdf

Ridgway, C. (2011). Framed by Gender: How Gender Inequality Persists in the Modern World. Oxford University Press, Oxford.