Unconscious Bias & Mitigation Flashcards

The concept of 'in-group favoritism' in social identity theory explains why:

Answer: People unconsciously extend more trust, benefit of the doubt, and opportunities to those they perceive as similar to themselves

In-group favoritism is the unconscious tendency to treat members of one's own group more favorably, affecting mentorship, sponsorship, and promotion.

Which of the following is the MOST accurate description of 'microaggressions' in a workplace DEI context?

Answer: Brief, everyday exchanges that send denigrating messages to members of marginalized groups, often unintentionally

Microaggressions are subtle, often unintentional communications that convey negative or stereotypical messages about a person's identity.

When designing a bias mitigation intervention, a CDP professional should prioritize which of the following evidence-based approaches?

Answer: Voluntary training combined with structural process changes and ongoing measurement

Research supports combining voluntary training with systemic process changes and measurement as the most effective multi-pronged strategy.

A hiring manager notices that she rates candidates interviewed late in the day lower than those interviewed in the morning. This is BEST explained by:

Answer: Decision fatigue and its influence on evaluative judgment

Decision fatigue causes cognitive resources to deplete over time, leading to less careful, more biased evaluations as the day progresses.

The term 'second-generation gender bias' in organizations refers to:

Answer: Subtle, often invisible organizational practices and norms that systematically disadvantage women

Second-generation gender bias describes unwritten rules, norms, and structures (like male-coded leadership models) that disadvantage women without explicit intent.

Which of the following BEST illustrates how 'priming' can activate unconscious bias in a workplace setting?

Answer: Seeing images of successful white male leaders before evaluating a diverse candidate pool

Priming occurs when environmental cues (like homogeneous leadership images) unconsciously activate stereotypes that then influence subsequent judgments.

In bias mitigation, 'perspective-taking exercises' are designed to primarily:

Answer: Build empathy by encouraging individuals to mentally adopt the viewpoint of someone from a different background

Perspective-taking exercises reduce bias by activating empathy and helping individuals recognize how systemic barriers affect others' experiences.