Implicit Bias

Implicit bias is the attitude and stereotypes we make about certain groups of people that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner. This basically means, we make assumptions about individuals without even realizing it. Implicit bias can be used against racial groups, economic status, LGBTQ groups, and gender. These stereotypes are usually formed based off of things we see on social media or TV, and what we hear from our family and friends. I believe it is important for OT students and practitioners to learn about implicit bias, so that we can identify the problem and correct it. In order to promote change, we need to be aware of what is happening. As an occupational therapist you will work with individuals from different races, ethnicities, cultures, and backgrounds, and we should never form bias stereotypes towards any group of individuals. It is our job to have cultural humility and and be culturally responsive when working with each and every one of our clients. If we take the the time to learn about them and who they are, we will be able to enhance our client-therapist relationships and improve the clients overall experience.

There are several things you can do in order to examine and address your own implicit bias. First, you have to have self-awareness. If you do not realize you are stereotyping or judging others, you can not resolve the problem. By taking the survey, I became aware of own implicit bias and I will work to change it. Next, you can take the time to learn about others. I personally, do my best to not form an opinion on someone before getting to know them first. Growing up in Memphis, it sometimes feels like everybody knows everyone, and you have people telling you things about someone before you even meet them. I believe social media has a major impact on implicit bias, especially on the younger generations. Finally, you can hold yourself and your peers accountable and educate them on implicit bias. Hopefully, by spreading awareness and keeping your peers accountable, it will encourage a positive change within your community.

My biggest take-away from today’s lesson was involvement. It is our job as future OT practitioners to be more involved in our community. By being more involved, we can advocate for our profession and implement change. In the COTAD video, Dr. Gibb said we can do this by volunteering, becoming a mentor, sharing our story on what OT is and why we chose this career. By doing these things, we are also taking the steps to get to know more people within our community and help eliminate some implicit bias.