Don't judge me, but...

Have you ever been enjoying a nice, stimulating conversation with a friend or colleague when they suddenly stop the conversation, look you in the eye, and say, “Don’t judge, but…”and then proceed to tell you something they believe, did, or would like to do? You may or may not agree with the point they subsequently shared. You may or may not have judged them for it. And, you may or may not have even known that you judged them. At this point in time, they are probably assuming that you have some sort of bias, whether implicit or explicit, towards them and their actions.

What’s the difference between explicit and implicit bias?

Explicit biases are beliefs or attitudes that we are consciously aware of. You have probably said them out loud, or at least, consciously analyzed them in your brain. If you verbally responded or made any conscious actions intended to relay your opinion, you probably demonstrated your explicit biases. Implicit biases, on the other hand, can be a little harder to detect. They are attitudes, beliefs, or stereotypes that come from subtle cognitive processes that happen below our conscious awareness. They manifest themselves in your automatic actions, preferences, beliefs, and thoughts that you don’t consciously recognize. Your friend’s comment of “don’t judge, but…” probably stems, at least partially, from some implicit bias or attitudes they have towards you. Without some honest introspection, you probably didn’t notice them at work in your contribution to the conversation either. Before we start pointing fingers everywhere, we must recognize that we all shelter some implicit biases within us. They affect nearly every aspect of our lives and societies. That’s why USU students in Dr. Turner’s Dress and Humanity class are learning how to recognize implicit bias through self-awareness, acknowledge group and individual differences through a neutral lens, and promote understanding in the community.