Identifying microaggressions and implicit biases can be challenging but asking oneself reflective questions can help uncover them.
Here are five questions people can ask themselves:
- What assumptions do I make about people based on their appearance (e.g., race, gender, clothing)?
- How do I react when I encounter someone who is different from me in terms of culture, language, or lifestyle?
- Are there certain groups of people I tend to avoid or feel uncomfortable around? Why might that be?
- How do I respond to media portrayals of different social, ethnic, and cultural groups? Do I notice patterns in these responses?
- When I make decisions about hiring, mentoring, or collaborating, am I consistently favoring certain groups over others? What reasons do I give for these preferences?
Reflecting on these questions can help individuals become more aware of their implicit biases and take steps toward addressing them.
