Unconscious (Implicit) Bias

Recognition, acknowledgment, and acceptance of biases in a nonjudgmental manner is key to advancing knowledge and avoiding biased behaviors. Unconscious biases do not mean people are bad, and they do not mean those who raised or educated us are bad people. They mean lessons were learned that unconsciously affect decision-making. Awareness and management of implicit bias are critical to successful growth as diverse, equitable, and inclusive teams.

The term implicit bias was coined by Mahzarin Banaji and Anthony Greenwald in 1995. They have since authored the New York Times bestseller Blindspot (Bantam, August 2016). In their original publication, they argued that social behavior largely is influenced by unconscious associations and judgments. For every conscious decision made daily, there are many more made using unconscious/previously learned information. The authors encourage you to explore the Harvard Project Implicit social attitudes site (https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/).

The authors wish to thank the Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia for leading the way toward equity and inclusion by inviting this discussion and by showing active movement toward representation of women and minorities in their editorial processes and leadership.