Stereotypes
and
Bias
What is a Stereotype?
 A preconceived idea that attributes
certain characteristics (in general) to
all members of a group.
 An exaggerated image of a person or
group, allowing for little variation or
individual differences
 Simplistic or inaccurate beliefs
about typical characteristics of a
group of people.
2
What is Bias?
 Tendency or preference towards a perspective, ideology or
result.
 Tends to interfere with the ability to be impartial, unprejudiced,
or objective.
 Can be explicit or implicit.
3
Where do stereotypes
and bias come from?
• Friends
• Family
• Television
• Community
• Politics
• Cultural Differences
• Personal Experiences
• Human Nature
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Stereotypes and Bias
Staff:
Students:
• Unlawful discrimination
• Low student achievement
• Others losing their sense of
“belonging”
• Disproportionate discipline
• Low employee morale
• Widen achievement gap
• Negative community image
• Compound bad behaviors
• Increased absenteeism
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Stereotypes and Bias
How does it affect us?
• Perception – how we see people and perceive reality.
• Attitude – how we react towards certain people.
• Behaviors – how receptive/friendly we are towards certain people.
• Attention – which aspects of a person we pay most attention to.
• Listening Skills – how much we actively listen to what certain people say.
• Micro-affirmations – how much or how little we comfort certain people in certain situations.
HOW DO WE RECOGNIZE IT?
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Common Stereotypes
1. Gender
2. Age
3. Socio-economic
4. Race
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Gender Stereotypes
What are some examples in our educational
field?
• Confident male is a “go-getter,” BUT confident
female is “pushy”
• Male that aren’t assertive are “weak”
Comments that suggest stereotypes:
• “Girls are smarter than boys.”
• I’m surprised that she’s doing well in this shop
class.”
• “If he’s teaching drama, he must be gay.”
• “He throws like a girl.”
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Age Stereotypes
What are some examples in our
educational field?
Comments that could suggest
stereotypes:
• Younger people are “lazy” or have
“weak work ethic.”
• “We need ‘energetic people’, fresh
blood.”
• Older people are “tired” or “old
fashioned.”
• “He needs to drop his prehistoric
ways.”
• Older people are stuck in their
ways.
• “They usually don’t stick around
beyond 2 years.”
• Younger people don’t listen.
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Socioeconomic Stereotypes
What are some examples in
educational field?
Comments that suggest
stereotype:
• Person not respected
because no steady work
history.
• “Your neighborhood doesn’t
have an HOA?”
• Person excluded because
they don’t dress nicely.
• “He’s rough-looking…”
• “Did you see that wreck she’s
driving.”
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Race Stereotypes
What are some examples in
the educational field?
Comments that suggest
stereotype:
• Some receive jobs due to
knowing the Superintendent
but aren’t qualified
• “Be careful. ‘Those’
people…”
• A person received a job
because they speaks Spanish
• He’s just not a “good fit.”
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Bias
Where Bias Lives in Our Brain
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Bias Can Be Conscious or Unconscious
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Types of Unconscious Bias
1. Conformity Bias
2. Beauty Bias
3. Halo/Horns Effect
4. Similarity/ Contrast Effect
5. Affinity Bias
6. Attribution Bias
7. Confirmation Bias
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Conformity Bias
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Beauty Bias
Ask yourself:
• Am I basing my decision on
judgments about how the person
looks (dress, hair, etc.)?
• Is that impacting how I interpret
and value this person?
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Halo/Horns Effect
Ask yourself:
• Is the fact that this person is really good (or not good) at one thing
impacting how I feel about other things they do?
• How can I separate the two?
• Might I get perspective from a peer?
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Similarity/ Contrast Effect
Ask yourself:
• Is this person’s style similar or
different to my own?
• Is that impacting how I
interpret and value this
person?
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Affinity Bias
Ask yourself:
• Does this person remind me of someone or something I like / don’t like?
• Is that impacting how I interpret and value this person?
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Attribution Bias
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20 Ways to Strategies to Mitigate Bias
1. Establish up front criteria
2. Batch decisions
3. Make room for different styles
4. Look for patterns
5. Get broad, diverse input
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Strategies to Mitigate Bias
6. Recognize and accept that everyone has biases.
7. Shine a light on yourself.
8. Practice constructive uncertainty.
9. Explore awkwardness and discomfort.
10. Learn about people
Strategies to Mitigate Bias
11. Take the Implicit Association Test.
12. Identify situations in which your implicit biases impact your behavior.
13. Make an effort to be friendlier and act less threatened when interacting
with people you perceive as different.
14. Become aware of your “positive stereotypes.”
15. Hang out with people who are different than you.
Strategies to Mitigate Bias
16. Personal awareness
17. Acknowledge
18. Have empathy
19. Advocate
20. Educate
Summing it up –
What's in it for you when you take
the action to mitigate stereotypes
and bias in your actions?
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Keith Reynolds
Director of Training in Equity and Diversity
AMAC rm. 401
Tel. 973-4572
Fax 973-4692
kreynolds1@usd259.net
Thank You