Unconscious Bias, Diversity & Inclusion

Its beyond doubt that Bias exists in every human being. Individually we may be aware of a few and we are blissfully unaware of the rest. Bias typically is a result of collective influences that happen right from our cognitive days in life which shape our choices. Bias may be defined as a prejudice in favour of, or against one thing, person or a group compared with another, usually considered unfair. The biases that we are conscious of, are Explicit or Conscious bias while the ones we are not, are Implicit or Unconscious Bias.  

Studies have revealed that Unconscious Bias is a subtle cognitive process that starts in Amygdala part of the brain as a result of rapid categorisation of instincts or information that did not have an opportunity of being processed by our conscious brain in the Cortex. To fulfil our commitment to foster a diverse, inclusive and equitable community, we must continue to learn, grow and challenge our own perceptions and biases.

As organisations spread over multiple geographies, diversity becomes a must to have.  And contrary to what many of us think, diversity is not just about gender, it can be diversity in religion, race, ethnicity, age, cultural background, sexual orientation, languages, education, abilities, etc. It is not a fad, it’s a business necessity, with tangible benefits.  Research has proven that organisations with greater diversity outperform their competitors.   

Theatre Based Intervention, allows participants to distance themselves and work on their bias dispassionately without being defensive in a non-threatening environment.  It allows them to identify the biases as they are made to experience on their own in a well facilitated process. The facilitation process uses theatrical techniques to explore diversity issues, to be more sensitive to others’ feelings, most importantly to understand their unconscious biases and work on them.  Acting out multiple simulated scenarios which may be similar in content but different in context make the participants understand the behavioural mindset that are caused by deep unidentified bias and with interactive sessions and goal setting, influence them to bring about a desired change.

Unconscious Bias may manifest itself in different ways like…

Affinity: Is a person like me or not like me? Class, Ethnicity, interests etc can influence this manifestation

Attribution: Attribute success to our own skills while that of others, to luck

Appearance: Bias based on appearance.. looks, colour, height etc  

Confirmation: Looking for evidence on an opinion of others while overlooking contradicting information for our own opinion. 

Conformity: Conforming to a group opinion without exercising one’s own

Contrast: Compare one with the other without considering the circumstantial factors 

Gender: Bias driven by Gender including LGBTQ

Halo and Horn Effects: Bias based on aspects catching first attention or creating first impression.