Training Reduces Implicit Racial Bias
Author Information
Author(s): Sophie Lebrecht, Lara J. Pierce, Michael J. Tarr, James W. Tanaka
Primary Institution: Brown University and University of Victoria
Hypothesis
Can training improve the ability to differentiate other-race faces and reduce implicit racial bias?
Conclusion
Training that improves the ability to recognize other-race faces also reduces implicit racial bias.
Supporting Evidence
- Subjects in the individuation condition improved their ability to discriminate African American faces.
- Implicit racial bias was measured using the Affective Lexical Priming Score (ALPS).
- Training effects were correlated with reductions in implicit bias.
Takeaway
If you practice recognizing faces of a different race, you might start to see them as individuals instead of just part of a group, which can help reduce bias.
Methodology
Caucasian subjects were trained to individuate African American faces over five sessions, with implicit racial bias measured before and after training.
Potential Biases
Potential biases in self-reporting of race and the limited demographic diversity of participants.
Limitations
The sample size was relatively small, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.
Participant Demographics
Twenty Caucasian volunteers, aged 20-35.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.01
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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