quiz: test your knowledge oF unconscious bias

fEAturE story quiz: test your knowledge oF unconscious bias By suri surindEr, With ChEryL MEyEr reprinted With permission from AmeriCAn institute of CpAs the quiz oriGinAlly AppeAred in the JOurnAl OF ACCOunTAnCy many professionals, without realizing it, make “unconscious” choices regarding those who are different in terms of race, gender, geographic origin, college education, and other factors. this “unconscious bias” impacts both personal and business decisions. how much do you know about unconscious bias? this quiz tests your knowledge on the subject. 1. true or false: unconscious bias is a hidden preference or predisposition for or against something. m true m false 7. Choose the best order for the words in the blanks. if we can be more _________ about some things that we are normally _______ about, we can mitigate unconscious bias. 2. true or false: unconscious biases exist in all of us, and are necessary to keep us safe. m reflexive/reflective m true 3. true or false: unconscious bias almost never results in suboptimal outcomes. 8. Choose the best order for the words in the blanks. Labeling a reaction or a thought as unconscious bias ascribes neither favorable nor unfavorable________, even though it may have unfavorable________. m true m intent/impact m false m false 4. What causes unconscious bias? m discrimination and prejudice m Bad influences m Absence of experience m Absence of training m Autopilot processing m reflective/reflexive m impact/intent 9. Choose the best order for the words in the blanks. one of the most commonly experienced unconscious biases that could result in nondiverse environments and noninclusive behaviors is __________ bias, which causes __________ with people similar to us. 5. the percentage of information processed unconsciously by the human brain through experienced-based rules is: m affiliation/affinity m less than 10% m more than 75% m more than 99% 10. Choose the best order for the words in the blanks. A good way to get people to realize their unconscious biases is by approaching them in a spirit of __________ rather than __________. m less than 50% m more than 90% 6. recent research indicates that the most fundamental need that human beings have is: m food, clothing, shelter m safety m maximizing one’s potential 16 JAnuAry/feBruAry 2018 m Belonging m esteem m inquiry/advocacy m affinity/affiliation m advocacy/inquiry QUIZ ANSWERS PAGE 22 unconcsious bias quiz answers & inFormation quiz page 16 1. unconscious bias is a hidden preference or predisposition for or against something. true - that statement is the definition of bias, though in common usage bias has a negative connotation because of its association with terms like “prejudice” and “discrimination.” 2. unconscious biases exist in all of us, and are necessary to keep us safe. true - unconscious biases are often automatic responses designed to keep us safe from harm when dealing with potentially dangerous situations. 3. unconscious bias almost never results in suboptimal outcomes. false - sometimes the unconscious preferences that function in autopilot mode in our brains can lead us to poor decisions in business 4. What causes unconscious bias? Autopilot processing - unconscious biases are the result of programmed guidelines and rules that the brain learns based on experience and uses for decisions that may not need—or allow for— deliberate consideration. 5. the percentage of information processed unconsciously by the human brain through experienced-based rules is: More than 99% - the brain gets 11 million bits of information every minute and can deal with 40. the remaining 99.999996% of information is processed unconsciously. 6. recent research indicates that the most fundamental need that human beings have is: Belonging - originally, the thinking was that food, clothing, and shelter were the most fundamental human needs. But recent research indicates that the need to belong is programmed into us as infants 22 JAnuAry/feBruAry 2018 when we begin to realize our dependency on our parents for our physiological needs. 7. if we can be more __________ about some things that we are normally __________ about, we can mitigate unconscious bias. reflective/reflexive - unconscious bias is about being more aware and conscious of autopilot decisions that our brains make. 8. Labeling a reaction or a thought as unconscious bias ascribes neither favorable nor unfavorable________, even though it may have unfavorable________. intent/impact - one of the unique aspects of recognizing unconscious bias is that it assumes no ill intent since the underlying hypothesis is that it is the result of preferences that we do not know exist. however, there could be a negative impact. 9. one of the most commonly experienced unconscious biases that could result in nondiverse environments and noninclusive behaviors is __________ bias, which causes __________ with people similar to us. affinity/affiliation - Affinity bias is the instinctive gravitational pull we feel toward people who are similar to us, and to whom we feel an affiliation with as well. this can result in a homogenous environment composed only of our in-groups. 10. A good way to get people to realize their unconscious biases is by approaching them in a spirit of __________ rather than __________. inquiry/advocacy - By being inquisitive and curious about why people think a certain way instead of being an advocate of a different way, one can help them realize their own unconscious biases.