From HBR: How Americans’ Biases Are Changing (or Not) Over Time

Excellent article from Charlesworth and Banaji.

“Our new research shows, for the first time, that the implicit attitudes of a society can and do change durably over time —although at different rates and in different directions depending on the issue. Drawing on data from over 4 million tests of explicit and implicit attitudes collected between 2007 and 2016, we found that Americans’ implicit attitudes about sexual orientation, race, and skin tone have all decreased meaningfully in bias over the past decade. We also found some areas (age, disability, and body weight) for which the news is not so positive.”

“In 1937 only 33% of Americans believed that a qualified woman could be president; in 2015, 92% endorsed the possibility. In 1958 only 4% of white Americans approved of black-white marriages; today 87% of white Americans do. These findings highlight the fact that our minds can and do change toward greater equality of opportunity. This is good news for business leaders, since greater diversity has many benefits for organizations. For example, it allows the best talent to emerge, makes teams smarter, and improves financial performance.”

Here at SunShower, we not only believe in change, we’ve seen the effect of our training programs that give people the tools to change. With the Ouch! programs and Defeating Unconscious Bias, we’ve seen and heard reports that there are positive changes that stick, long after the elearning course or workshop.

In fact, a study at the University of Cincinnati showed that 82% of Ouch! trainees had already used the Ouch! skills in their workplace interactions and personal lives within 3 months. It also documented that trainees had a statistically significant increase in awareness of bias and stereotypes and a lasting positive change in their comfort and confidence to speak up using Ouch! skills. The study showed that trainees were more likely in the future to speak up against stereotypes or bias they encountered at work, home and in social settings.

More From Our Blog…

3 Strategies for Responding to Microaggressions

3 Strategies for Responding to Microaggressions

"I’m not biased against gay people. I have a gay friend." "You don't sound Black," or "How long have you lived in this country?” Have you ever overheard or been on the receiving end of a comment like this? If so, did you know how to respond? Being prepared in advance...

read more
When Barbie Meets AI

When Barbie Meets AI

What happened when artificial Intelligence (AI) was used to imagine Barbie dolls in cultures around the world? Probably not what you'd expect for a brand that has gained a massive following for breaking down barriers and, more recently, advocating for social and...

read more
Overcoming Racism in Healthcare

Overcoming Racism in Healthcare

In an era where diversity and inclusivity are championed, it is disheartening to acknowledge that racism continues to persist in many, if not most, industries, including healthcare. Black doctors and other healthcare providers, who dedicate their lives to providing...

read more
Honored by These Kind Words From a SunShower Reviewer

Honored by These Kind Words From a SunShower Reviewer

We were delighted to see the comments from Melissa Milloway, Education and Communications Manager at Amazon, on LinkedIn regarding her experience with Disarming Microaggressions. "I promise this is not an ad, just something I need to share because it is a gem of a...

read more
AI Is All the rage, but What About the Baked-In Bias?

AI Is All the rage, but What About the Baked-In Bias?

Artificial Intelligence would tell us that crimes are always committed by men with dark skin. Women are rarely doctors, lawyers or judges, and women with dark skin flip burgers.  This is not the world we live in, but it is the world that Stable Diffusion, one of the...

read more
What’s Going On in There?

What’s Going On in There?

Listen to the Hidden Brain: Revealing Your Unconscious podcast and find outA friend texted me about a podcast he thought I would enjoy. The show notes piqued my interest: “We ask how is it that we can hold negative stereotypes — without being aware of them?” If you’ve...

read more