Unconscious Bias in Decision-Making
Unconscious Bias in Decision-Making
Unconscious Bias in Decision-Making
Hot Topics In Cognitive Psychology
The goal of this discussion forum is to offer you an introduction to the field of cognitive psychology. Cognitive psychology is a discipline within psychology that is concerned with the scientific study of the human mind. The mind is responsible for a variety of functions and abilities, including perception, attention, consciousness, memory, reasoning, and decision-making. Most of our mental life is unconscious. If the objects of our attention are equated to the objects of our consciousness, it is reasonable to assume that we are aware of only a limited number of events in our daily lives.
For your initial post, complete the following steps:
- Watch the video entitled, The Magic of the Unconscious: Automatic Brain (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..
- Select a “hot topic” of cognitive psychology based on what you have heard and/or seen in the media and your personal interests.
- Look for a report in the media (e.g., newspapers, magazines, web pages of professional organizations, etc.) that refers to the selected topic such as “defendant cannot remember what happened,” “false memories explain UFO abduction stories,” and so forth.
- Describe the content of the selected report and offer your own perspective. Namely, use your critical-thinking skills to examine the extent to which the claims made in the report and the evidence upon which the report relies are to be trusted. Then, discuss the real-life consequences of the evidence reported.
In your post, include a link to the selected report, and explain to the members of the class why you have selected it. Support your points with evidence from at least one peer-reviewed research article. Your initial post must be a minimum of 300 words.
Reference:
Unconscious Bias and Decision-Making: A Cognitive Psychology Perspective
One of the most engaging and widely discussed topics in cognitive psychology today is unconscious bias. This concept has gained significant attention in the media, especially in discussions involving workplace discrimination, policing practices, healthcare disparities, and judicial decisions. The video The Magic of the Unconscious: Automatic Brain highlights how much of our mental processing happens without conscious awareness. This forms the basis for understanding unconscious bias—automatic mental shortcuts rooted in cultural or personal experiences that can influence judgment and behavior.
I selected an article from Scientific American titled “How Unconscious Bias Affects the Way We Treat Others”. The article discusses how implicit biases operate beneath the surface of our awareness and influence daily decisions, even among individuals who consciously reject prejudiced thinking.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-unconscious-bias-affects-the-way-we-treat-others/
This article aligns with current discussions around social justice and equality. It reports on various studies demonstrating that people often unknowingly make decisions that disadvantage others based on race, gender, or age. For instance, healthcare providers may unintentionally offer lower-quality care to minority patients, or employers might subconsciously favor job applicants with names that sound more familiar to their cultural background.
Critically evaluating this report, I find the evidence credible as it draws from peer-reviewed studies and leading psychological research. One such study is by Green et al. (2007), who investigated implicit bias among physicians using the Implicit Association Test (IAT). They found that physicians’ unconscious biases correlated with their treatment recommendations, particularly for Black versus White patients with identical symptoms (Green, D. R., Carney, D. R., & Pallin, D. J., 2007). This reinforces the article’s claim that unconscious bias has tangible consequences.
The real-life implications are profound. Unconscious bias can lead to systemic inequalities in healthcare outcomes, employment opportunities, and legal judgments. Raising awareness of this cognitive process is essential, as is integrating strategies like bias training and standardized decision-making frameworks to mitigate its effects. This topic is crucial not only within cognitive psychology but also in developing policies for fairer societal systems.
Reference
Green, A. R., Carney, D. R., Pallin, D. J., Ngo, L. H., Raymond, K. L., Lezzoni, L. I., & Banaji, M. R. (2007). Implicit bias among physicians and its prediction of thrombolysis decisions for Black and White patients. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 22(9), 1231–1238.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2219763/
Reason for Selection
I selected this article because it illustrates how unconscious mental processes studied in cognitive psychology shape real-world interactions in subtle yet impactful ways. Understanding these hidden influences is essential for developing strategies to reduce bias and promote equity in professional and personal settings.
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