Tesco
The Bias Detective
Article

The Bias Detective

Psychologist Jennifer Eberhardt explores the roots of unconscious bias – and its tragic consequences for US society

Douglas Starr
Science, 2020
Read the article

Read or listen offline

  • 0.5×
  • 0.75×
  • 1×
  • 1.25×
  • 1.5×
  • 1.75×
1×

Editorial Rating

9

Qualities

  • Eye Opening
  • Bold
  • Engaging

Recommendation

The brain’s attempts to categorize and familiarize the world begins innocently in childhood. But as psychologist Jennifer Eberhardt discovered, over time such ingrained images can establish deep-rooted racial bias. From simply not being able to tell faces of other races apart, to larger issues of discrimination and police shootings, unconscious bias causes serious societal problems. Eberhardt’s intensely personal drive permeates her distinguished career, in which she proves that racial bias can be recognized and eliminated from society with data mining, specific training – and practice.

Take-Aways

  • One facet of bigotry is the “other-race effect” which describes how some people struggle to identify the faces of other races.
  • Eberhardt’s studies show how face recognition works, and its effects on personal and police interactions.
  • Eberhardt has explored sensitive areas of race relations, such as bias within police departments.

About the Author

Douglas Starr is co-director of the Boston University Science Journalism Program, and is a veteran science, environment and medical writer. His most recent book is The Killer of Little Shepherds: A True Crime Story and the Birth of Forensic Science.

Comment on this summary or Start Discussion