Unconscious Bias

Unconscious biases are beliefs that lead to an inclination for or against a person or group, often based on stereotypes shaped by our background, culture, and personal experiences. Such biases operate outside our conscious awareness and may be contrary to our consciously held beliefs and values. Unconscious biases can negatively impact the workplace experience and career advancement of women and other underrepresented groups, as well as the diversity of organizations.

To raise awareness about the impact of unconscious bias on career advancement and explore how to address it, NeuroCure offers workshops featuring the empirically-based WAGES learning activity.

WAGES – Workshop Activity for Gender Equity Simulation uses the interactive format of a board game to help participants of all career levels to better understand some of the sources and cumulative effects of unconscious bias in the academic STEM context. Insights discovered through game play, especially those pertaining to gender, are shared, consolidated, and expanded in a moderated post-game discussion.

Originally developed at Penn State University, USA, an adapted version of WAGES is offered by NeuroCure for the German academic environment.

For more information, contact Kim Mason. 

For additional resources on unconscious bias, see also Action Potential #2.

(Photo: K. Mason)