Technology News

Unfair, me? Few people will answer yes to this question. However, we unconsciously tend to prefer those who are similar to us. And to perceive the rest of humanity less leniently. This is the third part of our series on bias.

Published at 2:02 am. Updated at 6:00 am.

The pro-group bias

Its manifestation

Believe it or not, if researchers asked you to complete a task as a team with complete strangers, you would probably continue to favor your teammates even after the activity was completed. “We generally have a preference for the members of our belonging group without even realizing it,” explains Émilie Gagnon-St-Pierre, co-founder of the cognitive bias guide Shortcuts and a doctoral candidate in cognitive and social psychology at the University of Quebec in Montreal. One study showed that this preference occurs before children start school. We also tend to believe that our community (referred to in research as the “ingroup”) is superior, even when the reality is very different.

His reason for being

Over the course of evolution, humans have had to form alliances to increase their chances of survival. However, the feeling of belonging strengthens the cohesion of a group and promotes the loyalty of its members. According to Shortcuts, biases also limit the choices—and therefore the cognitive effort required—when deciding how to allocate our resources (time, money, etc.).

Its effects

In many social situations, displays of this bias are unfair and even illegal because they disadvantage minorities or people outside a community. Laws prohibit, among other things, nepotism. Viewing our group through rose-colored glasses—for example, refusing to believe that it promotes racism—can further discourage us from solving problems. And all of this “can lead to conflicts with other groups,” warns Émilie Gagnon-St-Pierre, whose research focuses on intergroup relations.

An example from Quebec

After the close calls of killings of a white teenager and a black teenager – Thomas Trudel and Jannai Dopwell-Bailey – in Montreal in 2021, Prime Minister François Legault and Mayor Valérie Plante publicly acknowledged the first, but not the second. It sent the message that the life of a white child is valued more than that of a black child, many race relations experts said. As they told CBC, both politicians may also have been influenced by “harsh stereotypes of deviance and criminality that associate black children with crime and gangs,” although both politicians denied this (which would then be the hallmark of the other two prejudices). . below).

His antidote

Recognizing our affection for the people around us can help us combat favoritism. However, because bias often occurs unconsciously, measures – such as anonymously evaluating candidates for certain positions – are used to prevent our brains from playing tricks on us.

The prejudices of essentialism and the homogeneity of other groups

Your manifestation

Many jokes – about women, accountants, etc. – reveal a reductive view of certain groups. This simplistic perception also penetrates advertising… Two very common prejudices explain it. First, we tend to underestimate the inequality of individuals from other communities (called “exogroups” in research) and imagine them to be “all equal.” We also too often believe that social groups differ from one another in essential and immutable ways. This assumption would be more widespread among authoritarian personalities who see the world in a rigid and hierarchical way, explains Émile Gagnon-St-Pierre.

Your reason for being

The assumption that we can predict the characteristics of members of other communities protects us from mental fatigue by freeing us from processing a deluge of complex information about each individual. This allows us to spend more cognitive energy interacting with our core group. And partly explains why it seems more difficult to distinguish the faces of people from different backgrounds. Stereotypes and prejudices can also act as social glue because, unfortunately, they seem to bring those who share them together.

Their effects

Stereotyping reduces empathy, says the Shortcuts guide. Watching a needle prick a person's hand results in a weaker physiological response if that hand is a different color than ours. Essentialism also leads to racism, sexism, ageism, etc. Many people are therefore denied access to employment or housing for discriminatory reasons. And the courts are full of suspects who have been profiled with the prejudice that they are inherently delinquent because of their background. Stereotypes also lead people to accept inequalities. They can even lead to “excusing sexual crimes” or “justifying genocides,” Shortcuts warns.

A Canadian example

In 2019, the Supreme Court was forced to order a new trial in Alberta because murder victim Cindy Gladue, who died of blood loss, was repeatedly referred to as a “local girl” by witnesses and lawyers on both sides. Her attacker's defense was based on numerous prejudices against First Nations and sex workers, suggesting that she had consented to the abuse. However, the judge failed to advise the jury that this woman's background and livelihood were irrelevant and should not influence the verdict.

Your antidotes

Prejudice can “lead to a decreased interest in interacting or developing friendships within groups other than our own,” but we must combat this reflex, the Shortcuts guide says. The rarer the interpersonal exchange with members of other communities, the more prejudices manifest themselves. The guide therefore suggests diversifying our network and becoming more informed in order to reduce these prejudices.

To read tomorrow

“These prejudices contaminate artificial intelligence”

Consult the practical guide to cognitive biases. Abbreviations. What do you think? Participate in the dialogue