How fair is fair? In the world of high-stakes testing and other communication, how do we keep bias at bay?

Implicit bias is a deeply uncomfortable topic for many people, but it’s an important one. The effects of implicit bias can cause real harm when everyday opportunities become unevenly distributed. Also, because of the nature of implicit bias, it can be difficult for people to become aware of their own biases, and when they do, those biases can be difficult to change. However, it is possible and Project Implicit is trying to help.

Implicit Bias

Implicit bias is what happens when you have a preference or aversion to someone, something or a group of people without consciously being aware of it. This makes it possible to consciously believe one thing, but for one’s unconscious thoughts to have other ideas.

Bias is something that gets in the way of fairness—one of the guiding principles of assessment. Here on the blog we’ve talked about different forms of bias that should be addressed when developing, translating and/or adapting educational assessments. However, bias can have consequences far beyond the classroom, including in hiring decisions, medical referrals and even police actions. Our implicit biases, without meaning to, can influence others’ quality of life, which I think makes Project Implicit’s work so interesting.

Project Implicit

Project Implicit is an organization that brings together researchers interested in implicit bias, collects data related to the topic and educates the public by bringing greater awareness to issues of implicit bias.

On their website they freely offer implicit bias tests on topics such as race, skin tone, gender, religion, sexual orientation, exercise, anxiety, alcohol and eating. There are tests available in different languages and for people from different countries. The tests ask you to sort words and pictures into different categories, which can switch locations. The tests measure how long it takes you to sort and categorize some concepts as compared to other concepts.

I encourage you to try out some of the tests (you can do that here: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html) and then review your scores. Did any of the scores surprise you? Why or why not?

Challenging yourself and your assumptions, even assumptions you didn’t necessarily know you had, can be uncomfortable, but it is those efforts that can help make your public work, your private self and possibly the world around us a little better every day. At least, that’s what I’d like to think.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.

Experts in Assessment Translation

Responsive Translation specializes in the translation and adaptation of high-stakes assessments and surveys for education, health, psychology and human resources. We are also a member of the International Test Commission. For more information about our offerings, please contact us at 646-847-3309 or [email protected].