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[side_show]

So I was researching biases today for work related purposes, and I found these Harvard Project Implicit tests facinating.  Aparently I have no bias between white and black people, but a slight bias for gays.  I do like me some gays.  The Native American one was pretty silly though.  Aparently Native Americans only existed in old-timey pictures.

[jaydub]

I've participated in that one.  I remember being dismayed because I had a slight association between negative characteristics and Black people.  This time it gave me conspiracy and religious themed choices,

"Your data suggest a moderate automatic association of Conspiracy with False and Accident with True.'
"Your data suggest a moderate automatic association between Self with Religious."

This time my expectations were met.  I laughed a couple times because although generally I would link "pious, religious, theist, etc" with myself, the word "skeptic" came up three times and each time I linked it with me (when it was the "wrong" choice according to the structure of the test). 

[theinevitable]

I don't want to take that thing again, it'll just tell me I'm still really racist.

depressing.

although it's always bothered me that it sets you up with the "black or bad" key combination before the "black or good" one. To me, that kind of sets you up to come out as racist.

Although Mel, you confirm that it's possible to only get a "slight" reaction. When I took it with a bunch of undergrads, everyone came out super-racist. Sad.

Somehow I don't imagine living in St Louis is helping my racial attitudes.

[side_show]

To be clear, having biases =/= racist.  While having biases skews our view of the world and even our decision making, it is not the same as being actively prejudice.  Becoming aware of your biases, rather than having them exist on a unconcious level, is a good thing.  The more aware you are of your own biases the better, as it gives you more power over the choices you make.  The reason I'm researching biases is that I train mentors to support youth and familes.  I want the mentors to be aware of their biases, not deny them.  We all have biases derived from our cultures, our politics, our religions, our science, genders, geographies, etc., and not all biases are detrimental ones.  The red flag for me, is when I meet someone who claims they don't have any biases.  This means the person isn't particularly self aware, and that's always problematic when it comes to managing and supporting someone.