Part of the bodies defence mechanism is to make these immediate decisions about people, to try and understand if it is safe. It is also a way to speed up new interactions; we cannot possibly process everything we initially take in about a new person. The brain will subconsciously categorise based on gender, age, race, weight, attractiveness and disability. Along with this, our past experiences will also play a part, so that the brain also looks for familiar patterns of language, accent, nationality, religion and education. Social Psychologists call this part of the process Social Categorisation.
We all form categories which pre-judge others, and other groups, based on past experiences with a similar group. This pre-judging will also be based on what we have seen, heard and absorbed unconsciously during the course of our lives. Influences can come from family and friends but may also be affected by the News, social media and peers; creating patterns which we unconsciously process and store. These categories get reinforced by our daily lives, without us thinking consciously about them.
These unconscious decisions we make about someone’s character will then help create a bias, whether good or bad, towards them. Unconscious bias cannot be stopped, but we can learn how to use logical thought to ensure that we don’t let it impact negatively in the workplace.
Watch this short film on Unconscious Bias by McKinsey & Company