PON Live! Follow the Science: Proven Strategies for Reducing Unconscious Bias

A virtual discussion with David Hoffmann and Helen Winter

About the talk:

Unconscious bias – a set of attitudes and stereotypes that we are unaware of – is ubiquitous and its effects can be pernicious. Some of these attitudes – regarding race, gender, class, sexual orientation, and other characteristics – may be the opposite of what we consciously believe but can nonetheless affect our behavior. Biases are particularly problematic for those who are required to be impartial, such as mediators, arbitrators, and judges, and also for lawyers and many other professionals who have an ethical duty to act in an unbiased manner. Fortunately, unconscious bias (sometimes called “implicit bias”) is also malleable. In this presentation, David Hoffman and Helen Winter provide a “user’s guide” to peer-reviewed social psychology research on bias-reduction strategies, with suggestions for how this research can be implemented in everyday life. Their conclusions can also be found in their recent Harvard Negotiation Law Review article, which can be found here.