What is the Implicit Bias in Blindspot?

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What the Implicit Bias in Blindspot
Introduction
Mahazarin Banaji and Anthony Greenwald, both leading psychologists, have challenged the common perceptions and hidden biases that humans have possessed since medieval times. During this period, saints were depicted in paintings with glowing crowns on their heads to represent their goodness and reverence. The purpose of this paper is to highlight implicit biases such as blindspots contribute to cultural attitudes about gender, age, religion, ethnicity, and nationality. Banaji and Greenwald’s (10) “Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People” text is an accurate reminder of Thondike’s (1920) work and the coining of the “Hallo Effect” concept (Gabrieli et al. 1). While the authors have identified common biases in blindspots, the authors are hopeful that using logic and understanding can avert possible dangers resulting from biases. The authors’ text “Blindspot” shows the role played by implicit bias in facilitating common perceptions in different cultures through mindbugs, shades of truth, and blindspots.
“Mindbugs” is one concept that significantly results in hidden biases that lead people to judge or act towards others in ways they are largely unaware of. Banaji and Greenwald (11) have shown that people often “use available information around them without being aware either that they are doing this or of how unthinkingly they are doing it.” This is common in many cultures as people will react differently towards certain ethnic groups without logical reasoning. For instance, stereotypes against police officers have maintained that the world is largely a dangerous place have made them use excessive force during arrests (Beauchamp). With the information young police officers have about citizens, they are likely to apply excessive force when dealing with suspects. Perhaps, if these “mindbugs” or information could be revisited, the frequent outrages against American police could be reduced to a greater margin.
Banaji and Greenwald (12) also argue that implicit bias among humans results from shades of truth or “gray lies,” which include self-deceptions that prevent people from understanding the explicit truth about themselves. The authors have exposed various forms of lies or “untruths” that form part of the “armory of mental strategies that humans routinely deploy with no active thought about what they are doing (12).” Some questions, when posed by others, may automatically be supplied with lies. For instance, asking a sick patient, “How are you?” can be confusing, and patients might respond with “Fine” (Banaji and Greenwald 31)...