Thursday, October 1 Psychology Today Article self-bias assessment

 SOME LIGHT-HEARTED NEWS

MEET ELSIE POTTY-MOUTHED PARROT

Five parrots have been removed from public view at a British wildlife park after they started swearing at customers.

The foul-mouthed birds were split up after they launched a number of different expletives at visitors and staff just days after being donated to Lincolnshire Wildlife Park in eastern England.

"It just went ballistic, they were all swearing," the venue's chief executive Steve Nichols told CNN Travel on Tuesday. "We were a little concerned about the children."

"They literally, within a very short period of time, starting swearing at each other," Nichols said. "'F**k off' is the most common one," he explained -- "it's a very easy one for them to learn" -- but the birds would utter "anything you can think of."

Most customers enjoyed the talent once the parrots were displayed. "The visitors were giving them as much back as what they were giving to them," Nichols said.

But concern for younger customers forced staff to split up the birds and temporarily remove them from the park's public areas. Staff now hope the birds' language will become more family-friendly now that they have been separated.

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In class today: 1) article on bias from Psychology Today 2) self-bias assessment. Take your time with this. Copy onto a doc to take. Make sure to hold on to this for tomorrow.  REFLECT  and consider what you read in the article. You will used this for a short reflective piece tomorrow   I Bias A bias is a tendency, inclination, or prejudice toward or against something or someone. Some biases are positive and helpful—like choosing to only eat foods that are considered healthy or staying away from someone who has knowingly caused harm. But biases are often based on stereotypes, rather than actual knowledge of an individual or circumstance. Whether positive or negative, such cognitive shortcuts can result in prejudgments that lead to rash decisions or discriminatory practices. What is bias? Bias is a natural inclination for or against an idea, object, group, or individual. It is often learned and is highly dependent on variables like a person’s socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, educational background, etc. At the individual level, bias can negatively impact someone’s personal and professional relationships; at a societal level, it can lead to unfair persecution of a group, such as the Holocaust and slavery. What causes people to be biased? Starting at a young age, people will discriminate between those who are like them, their “ingroup,” and those who are not like them, “their outgroup.” On the plus side, they can gain a sense of identity and safety. However, taken to the extreme, this categorization can foster an “us-versus-them” mentality and lead to harmful prejudice. What is an unconscious or implicit bias? People are naturally biased—they like certain things and dislike others, often without being fully conscious of their prejudice. Bias is acquired at a young age, often as a result of one’s upbringing. This unconscious bias becomes problematic when it causes an individual or a group to treat others poorly as a result of their gender, ethnicity, race, or other factors.  Can a person be unbiased? Generally, no. Everyone has some degree of bias. It’s human nature to assign judgment based on first impressions. Also, most people have a lifetime of conditioning by schools, religious institutions, their families of origin, and the media. However, by reflecting critically on judgments and being aware of blind spots, individuals can avoid stereotyping and acting on harmful prejudice. How can you reduce bias? Telling people to “suppress prejudice” or racism often has the opposite effect. When people are trained to notice prejudiced or racist thoughts without trying to push them away, they are able to make a deliberate choice about how they behave towards others as a result. This can lead to less discrimination and reduced bias over time.

Biases and Cognitive Errors

A category of biases, known as cognitive biases, are 

repeated patterns of thinking that can lead to inaccurate 

or unreasonable conclusions. Cognitive biases may help

 people make quicker decisions, but those decisions aren’t always accurate.

 Some common reasons why include flawed memory, scarce attention, 

natural limits on the brain’s ability to process information, emotional input,

social pressures, and even aging. When assessing research—or even one's

 own thoughts and behaviors—it’s important to be aware of cognitive biases 

and attempt to counter their effects whenever possible.

What is confirmation bias?

Confirmation bias, also known as “motivated reasoning,” refers to the

 brain’s tendency to search for and focus on information that supports 

what someone already believes, while ignoring facts that go against 

beliefs, despite their relevance.

Bias audit                                                                               Name___________________
Mark your response to the following:

	Positive	Negative	Undecided	Don't care
Administrators
Arabs
Black Muslims
Born-again Christians
Buddhists
Californians
Catholics
Chinese
Communists
Conservatives
Democrats
Doctors
Egyptians
Elderly
Football
French
Gays/lesbians
Honor Society
Iraqis
Jews
Jocks
Ku Klux Klan
Lawyers
Liberals
Muslims
Nerds
New Yorkers
Protestants
Republicans
Russians
Secretaries
Socialists
Sororities
Southerners
Teachers
Texans
Wealth
Welfare
Working class