Bias pervades our daily life

There’s a lot of talk about the bias people bring to their jobs, especially in the media. Most of the grousing is by people who don’t like to hear any news that challenges their own beliefs. For example, many political stories are dismissed by those who don’t want to hear other viewpoints.

So they often complain that the reporter or the media is biased.

But there is bias everywhere. In the legal profession, we are required to attend courses every three years to help us recognize bias in our profession. Every lawyer in Minnesota must attend two hours of “Elimination of Bias” classes with the goal of eliminating bias. It’s a worthy goal, but also elusive — it’s nearly impossible to eliminate bias.

Learning to recognize bias is a terrific tool, for lawyers and just about everyone else.

At a recent Elimination of Bias seminar, the presenters pointed to a “coffee” study: two cups of coffee were poured. One of the coffee cups was clear glass, the other white ceramic. The test subjects preferred the coffee in the clear cup, rating it smoother and less bitter than the coffee in the white ceramic cup. But it was the same, identical coffee!

Another bias was identified in music. It seemed that more men were being hired for symphony orchestras than were women. At the time, conductors and directors were primarily men, and they tended to rate fellow males higher on musical skill than women.

In a study where a screen was placed between the auditioning musician and the conductors, the number of women chosen for the orchestra soon became about equal to that for men. When the conductors were not able to see the person auditioning, gender became irrelevant.

That bias was eliminated. But not for long. Soon, the percentage of men getting jobs in symphony orchestras inched up … researchers learned that conductors subconsciously noticed when women were auditioning because of the “click” of their shoes. Laying down a carpet during auditions solved that bias.

That type of bias is called “implicit bias.” It’s the sort of bias that is somewhat subconscious rather that overt. In the movies, e.g., an actor playing a judge comes from central casting: mature, distinguished white male with a stern look. So when you get to court and find a smiling young Asian woman, you may not have the same confidence in that judge.

But I assure you, from my experience, that there is no one “look” that makes a good judge. Some of the best judges I know don’t look like “central casting” judges. Yet, the bias continues.

Implicit bias is not always bad. For example, legitimate news reporters start out with a healthy dose of skepticism based on the premise that the news source is not telling the whole truth.

That’s bias.

Many people don’t like being challenged on everything they say and find that reporters can be annoying. But the reporter’s bias means that, before they can write their story, nearly everything a politician says needs verification.

So, recognizing bias is the real goal. Try this yourself: The next time you find yourself making a biased judgment, look a little deeper. That kid with all the tattoos? The liberal next door? The man with the Confederate flag on his bumper?

Sometimes, our bias is confirmed; sometimes it’s overturned. Think twice. Send me an email and let me know what you find out.

Pete Radosevich is the publisher of the Pine Knot News community newspaper and an attorney in Esko who hosts the talk show Harry’s Gang on CAT-7. He can be reached at [email protected].