CDT Unconscious Bias & Microaggressions 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Derald Wing Sue defines microaggressions as:
- Overt and intentional acts of racial discrimination in the workplace
- Brief and commonplace verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities that communicate hostile or derogatory messages to marginalized groups (Correct answer)
- Legal violations of equal opportunity employment law
- Physical acts of aggression directed at minority individuals
Correct answer: Brief and commonplace verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities that communicate hostile or derogatory messages to marginalized groups
Sue defines microaggressions as brief, everyday exchanges that send denigrating messages to members of marginalized groups, often without the perpetrator's awareness.
Question 2: Which of the following is an example of a microinvalidation?
- Using a racial slur to insult a coworker
- Excluding a person of color from an important meeting
- Telling an Asian American 'You speak English so well!' (Correct answer)
- Physically blocking someone's path in a hallway
Correct answer: Telling an Asian American 'You speak English so well!'
Microinvalidations exclude or negate the experiences of marginalized people; 'You speak English so well!' implies the person is not expected to be fluent and negates their American identity.
Question 3: A microassault differs from other forms of microaggressions because it is:
- Always unintentional and unconscious
- The most subtle and covert form of bias
- A conscious and deliberate discriminatory action (Correct answer)
- Exclusively communicated through environmental cues
Correct answer: A conscious and deliberate discriminatory action
Microassaults are conscious and deliberate discriminatory actions or slurs intended to hurt the target, similar to 'old-fashioned' racism but enacted in subtle ways.
Question 4: Research on the cumulative impact of microaggressions suggests that:
- Individual microaggressions are harmless when experienced infrequently
- Cumulative exposure leads to significant psychological and physical health consequences (Correct answer)
- The impact of microaggressions is entirely dependent on the recipient's sensitivity
- Microaggressions have no measurable long-term effects on target groups
Correct answer: Cumulative exposure leads to significant psychological and physical health consequences
Research shows that cumulative exposure to microaggressions results in significant mental and physical health consequences including depression, anxiety, and reduced workplace performance.
Question 5: When a colleague says 'You're so articulate' to a Black professional after a presentation, this is typically classified as a:
- Genuine compliment with no problematic undertones
- Microassault targeting the individual
- Microinsult that communicates a hidden demeaning message (Correct answer)
- Microinvalidation denying the individual's racial identity
Correct answer: Microinsult that communicates a hidden demeaning message
This statement is a microinsult because it implies surprise that a Black person is articulate, communicating the underlying stereotypical assumption that Black people are generally not articulate.
Question 6: A diversity trainer facilitating a session on microaggressions should emphasize that bystanders who witness microaggressions should FIRST:
- Immediately confront the perpetrator loudly in front of everyone
- Ignore the incident to avoid escalating the situation
- Document the incident and report it to HR before taking action
- Assess the safety of the situation and check in with the target (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Assess the safety of the situation and check in with the target
Bystanders should first assess safety and check in with the target, as the affected person's needs and preferences should guide the response strategy.
Question 7: Environmental microaggressions in organizational settings can include:
- Providing only one accessible restroom in the entire building
- A company artwork collection that exclusively represents white historical figures
- Having a cafeteria that serves only one cuisine
- All of the above (Correct answer)
Correct answer: All of the above
All of these represent environmental microaggressions — systemic features of organizational environments that communicate to marginalized groups that they do not belong or are not valued.
CDT Unconscious Bias & Microaggressions 2
Derald Wing Sue defines microaggressions as: