Unconscious Bias: What Can We Learn From Media And Advertising?

This time last week, the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) introduced a new rule banning adverts which feature gender stereotypes that 'are likely to cause harm, or serious widespread offence'. The ban follows a review by the ASA into gender stereotyping in adverts, which found evidence that harmful stereotypes 'can be reinforced by some advertising, which plays a part in unequal gender outcomes'. In a similar vein, this week, the Head of ITV comedy said she would no longer commission shows written exclusively by men in order to move away from the gender imbalance in writing rooms. Hopefully, these changes will mark the end of misogynistic billboards asking women if they are 'beach body ready' and patronising TV commercials showing dads struggling with nappy duty and lead to a shift away from the gender imbalance on screen and in media. But do advertising and entertainment really have an impact on how we think and act in other contexts?

Unconscious bias

The ASA's ban and ITV's new approach are relatively small steps towards addressing a systemic issue. But they demonstrate an increasing awareness of how the media we are exposed to can influence not only our overt behaviour in terms of the protein shake or nappy brand we buy, but also reinforce unconscious biases that manifest themselves in our everyday lives. This includes our behaviour and the decisions we make in the workplace - whether in relation to recruitment, or staff development and recognition. Unconscious biases are usually harder to identify, and harder to address, than overt stereotypes because although they are based on an individual's own experiences, the individual will be unaware of their own biases unless they are trained to recognise them.

Is unconscious bias discriminatory?

Unconscious bias can be discriminatory if it relates to a protected characteristic, such as gender, age, race, sexual orientation or disability. For example, if a man ignores the skills and experience of a woman during a promotion round and appoints another male candidate, this could be discriminatory. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) Code of Practice highlights that whilst the relevant protected characteristic needs to be the cause of the less favourable treatment in order to amount to discrimination, it need not be the only or even the main cause. Nor does it need to be explicit or even conscious: an unconscious assumption, misconception or perception can still taint a decision...