The Bias Inside Us

(gentle tune plays) - [Narrator] Take a look at these faces, each one on the screen for exactly one second.

What do you see?

And what sorts of assumptions do you make about each person based solely on that split second?

Aware of it or not, it's something we all do countless times each and every day.

It's your brain making those snap decisions.

Something researchers have termed "implicit bias".

- It's something that's completely unconscious.

- [Narrator] Implicit bias refers to attitudes or beliefs that happen outside of your awareness and control.

It's those snap assumptions you make, much different than "explicit bias" where people are very much aware of their labeling and attitudes towards certain groups of people.

- I think a lot of people, when they hear prejudice or they hear racism, they immediately think, "Well, I'm not a racist because I don't use hateful language and I don't engage in hateful activities towards other groups."

That's explicit bias, but implicit bias is that snap judgment that our brain does and it's a combination of factors for why that happens.

Some of it's cultural, some of it's how our brains work.

- Implicit bias, in its purest sense is the unconscious mind acting in a way that might be inconsistent with how you think you are as an individual.

- Taking a deeper dive into this unconscious thought process, how it works, what researchers have found, and how we can try to counteract it, is the basis of the latest exhibit at Discovery Place Science in Uptown Charlotte, "The bias inside us".

- "The bias inside of us" is a partnership that Discovery Place brokered with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington to bring an exhibition that we feel like deals with a really important topic.

- [Narrator] Discovery Place is one of just a few sites nationwide to be hosting this traveling exhibit.

- The reason it's here in terms of in relationship with the Smithsonian is because we're one of the top science and technology centers in the country not just in the Carolinas but in the country.

- We are thrilled to be partnering with Discovery Place to bring this important exhibit to Charlotte.

We've been partners with Discovery Place over the years on other things, but I think this is really important for the whole city to have the opportunity to see it.

- Discovery Place has always been a leader when it comes to looking at the issues that are tougher to combat.

- [Announcer] Which of these two people is more trustworthy, A or B?

And what about from this pair?

(clock ticks) And this one?

(clock ticks) This probably wasn't hard.

These are the ones you chose as being more trustworthy.

- [Narrator] The exhibit dissects everything, from how we look at people's faces, decide who's trustworthy, attractive, dependable, and so on.

With those unconscious thoughts affecting more than you might realize.

- [Video] They also affect who we hire, who we give opportunities to, who we promote.

Now, if everyone sees the same thing when they look at a face, it raises the question are these impressions accurate?

Do people look more competent because they actually are more competent?

Do they look more trustworthy because they are more trustworthy?

The short answer is no.

- [Narrator] Through compelling images, hands-on interactives, and powerful testimonials and videos, the exhibit explores various examples of bias and some of those unwritten social codes that guide how we treat each other.

- All of us have bias.

That's just human nature.

It's how our brains work.

We have to take in a lot of information and sort and organize it very quickly but the trick is to recognize that bias and to understand the things that we need to attend to to make sure that we are questioning those snap judgements that we might make about people or whole groups of people.

- Let's say you're lost in a new city and need to ask for directions.

Researchers say the person you choose to talk to isn't necessarily random.

Some unconscious factors influence who you approach.

Like if the person has a friendly face or is well dressed.

- [Video] Research tells us we're more likely to agree with babyface adults, to accept their offers and negotiations.

We're even less likely to convict babyface defendants for premeditated crimes, and more likely to give them more lenient sentences when we do.

- [Narrator] The challenge the exhibit presents to visitors is to better understand bias and how it works and to be aware of its influence and ultimately how it affects our daily behaviors.

- What about bringing your work colleagues or your work team or your neighborhood group or your, you know group from the synagogue to take this in together and have a conversation about it?

- I'm hoping after people have had the chance to see the exhibit they just have a better understanding of what bias is.

That we all do have it, but that you can fight it, you can learn more you can understand more about how it works and there are tools that you can use to make sure that you're counteracting it in your daily life.

- [Narrator] Our brains make millions of decisions every day, most of them automatic and triggered based upon past experiences.

We may not be able to stop our brains from triggering implicit bias but we can check ourselves in those various instances and give just a little extra thought to how we view the world.

For Caroline IMPACT, I'm Jason Terzis reporting.