Zoe Tyne

Ms. Sotillo
Period 5
22/3/17

No one is safe from implicit bias, whether the biases are positive or negative. While

ones implicit biases tend to favour ones own ingroup, a person may have a bias against

themselves or people in similar groups as themselves (Greenwald, Krieger, Reskin). Gender is

a large piece of implicit bias that many people struggle against. Women in particular face many

negative and limiting biases from not only the media, but also themselves (Paul Murphy, Bialik).

While people are young, our societys views dont affect their thoughts as much, but, as one

spends more time in society, the more the views will affect us. As girls grow up and spend more

time exposed to social pressures, they make up a smaller share of aspiring politicians. At age 7,

about the same amount of girls and boys say they want to be president. But far more 15-year-

old boys than girls want to be president (Bialk). Though one may expect that since society has

such strict standards of women, women would be less biased, studies have found that women

actually tend to be more biased than men (Bialik). The biases society holds ultimately affect

everyone, regardless of gender, and putting a stop to the negative effects these hold will be a

dauntingly difficult task, yet one that is relatively simple.

While being able to wave a magic wand and change all the biases society holds would

be much easier, the task of taking away the harmful impacts implicit biases have must be

focused on an individual level. There are many ways to make ones implicit biases less harmful,

one of which is counter-stereotypic training. By exposing people to members of a certain group

of people that who do not fit into the negative stereotypes one may hold of them, the biases the

people hold will lessen if not completely go away (Lee). Society as a whole must also be

targeted as that is what often makes people develop these biases. While implicit biases are

programmed into peoples brains, something has to program them, which often times is the way

society views things. Its clear that the way to get rid of stereotypes is by the roots, by where

they come from in the first place (Bargh). The most important way to rid minds of negative

implicit biases is by education. When people are taught about implicit biases they then become
 Zoe Tyne
Ms. Sotillo
Period 5
22/3/17

slightly more aware of their actions and whether or not they are being biased. Overall, the battle

of implicit bias will be a long and challenging one, but as long not only society but individuals are

targeted, a resolution is possible.