What is Implicit Bias?

Implicit bias describes the attitudes and associated stereotypes we hold toward a group of people without our conscious awareness.

Usually, we have implicit biases against members of an “out-group”— a group or category of people we don’t identify ourselves as belonging to. 

Sometimes, though, we can hold implicit biases even toward our own in-group.

Interestingly, we can express explicit disapproval of a certain attitude or belief while still holding onto similar biases on an unconscious level 

Understanding implicit racial bias toward Black people can help us to better understand the impact of racial bias on the educational experience of Black students.

There are several negative stereotypes that underlie implicit racial bias about Black people; however, we will address the two that appear most salient to the educational experience of Black students:

Negative Stereotype 1: Black students are less intelligent than White students

Negative Stereotype 2: Black students are more disruptive, misbehaved, and/or aggressive than White students 

Next, we'll look at the factors contributing to these stereotypes.