The main idea of this article is to examine how educational interventions affect implicit biases, which are unconscious beliefs that can influence behavior without awareness, compared to explicit attitudes, which are conscious beliefs that people may consciously express or hold about themselves and others. Implicit biases arise from cultural messages, experiences, and stereotypes, while explicit attitudes come from personal opinions formed through life experiences. Educational interventions aim to change both types of bias but have varying effects depending on their nature and implementation.
Training programs that teach individuals about different identities and perspectives can reduce implicit bias, while affirmative action policies that promote diversity can increase explicit attitudes towards minority groups.
These strategies might not always work as intended due to individual differences in cognitive processes, emotional responses, and societal factors. This article will explore various empirical studies examining the effectiveness of educational interventions on altering implicit and explicit biases.
Literature Review
Several studies have demonstrated the efficacy of educational interventions in reducing implicit biases. One study found that a multiracial exposure program reduced Black participants' implicit racial bias towards Whites by increasing their contact with diverse peers (Ford et al., 2018). Another experiment manipulated the level of threat felt by White participants and found that those who perceived high threat were less likely to endorse positive explicit attitudes toward immigrants, suggesting that implicit biases could be linked to explicit attitudes (Schueller et al., 2015). Yet another investigation assessed the impact of empathy-inducing scenarios on implicit sexism and found that inducing empathy for women increased pro-female sentiments without changing explicit beliefs (Dovido & Gaertner, 2013).
There is limited evidence on how educational interventions affect explicit attitudes. A meta-analysis concluded that education reduces prejudice in general but does not reliably influence explicit attitudes specifically (Dasgupta & Ashton, 2009).
Implications
The findings suggest that educational interventions can influence both implicit and explicit biases, though they may not always do so equally. Interventions aimed at decreasing implicit bias are more effective than those targeting explicit attitudes, while affirmative action policies promote positive explicit attitudes towards minorities. Individual factors like emotional responses or societal contexts also play a role in determining whether these interventions succeed. Future research should focus on identifying the most effective strategies for addressing different types of biases and exploring why some individuals resist change despite receiving the same treatment as others. Educators should consider using diverse materials and teaching techniques that promote empathy and challenge stereotypes when trying to reduce bias among students. This article highlights the complex nature of bias reduction and emphasizes the importance of tailored approaches based on empirical evidence.
To what extent do educational interventions alter implicit biases versus explicit attitudes?
Research suggests that education can have varying effects on implicit and explicit attitudes toward certain topics, with some studies showing that it may be more effective at modifying explicit attitudes than implicit ones (Dovidio et al. , 2015).