Unconscious Bias Quiz

A group of researchers in America sent two fictional job applications to 127 professors for a position of laboratory manager.

Both candidates were 22 years of age, had the same grades and the same references. The only difference was that one was called ‘John’ and the other one ‘Jennifer’. Can you guess what happened?

• ‘Jennifer’ was more likely to be hired than ‘John’, with a starting salary of $4,000 more

• ‘John’ was more likely to be hired than ‘Jennifer’, with a starting salary of $4,000 more

• Both ‘John’ and ‘Jennifer’ were as likely to be hired and with the same starting salary

Answer explanation

‘John’ vs ‘Jennifer’.

According to a 2012 Yale University study, male applicants were more likely to be hired and with a higher salary than female applicants. This is in spite of having otherwise identical characteristics.

Economists have found that the best-looking people make, on average, during their lifetime, a lot more money than less attractive people. Is this statement:

True?

False?

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Good-looking people make more money, on average than less attractive individuals.

A – True. The economist Daniel Hamermesh, in the book Beauty Pays: Why Attractive People Are More Successful, claims that beautiful people make, on average, during their lifetime, $250,000 more than less attractive people.

In America, only 14.5% of men are estimated to have this attribute. However, almost 60% of CEOs in Fortune 500 companies have it. What is it?

• A college degree

• A standing height of over six foot (1.80 meters)

• IQ above 130

Answer explanation

B – A standing height of over six feet (1.80 meters).

In his book, Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, Malcolm Gladwell writes ‘In the US population, about 14.5% of all men are six feet or over. Among CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, that number is 58%.

A British study found that job applications with a British-sounding name received a 24% positive response rate from employers. What positive response rate did candidates with the same CVs (resumes), but non-British sounding names receive?

• 24%, the same as applicants with British sounding names.

• 20%

• 15%

Answer explanation

C – 15%

A 2017 study by Anthony Heath and Valentina Di Stasio found that, on average, nearly one in four applicants from the majority group, i.e. with British-sounding names (24%), received a positive response* from employers.

As for people with non-British sounding names, only 15% of them received a positive response despite having identical resumes and cover letters.

(*By ‘positive response’, the researchers meant any reply suggesting a genuine interest in the applicant, such as invitations to job interviews, requests to provide additional information on skills or previous experience, to complete a test, or to schedule a phone appointment with the employer.)

What percentage of hiring managers in the UK admit to a negative bias towards individuals with certain regional accents?

• 10%

• 80%

• 30%

Answer explanation

B – 80%

The law firm Peninsula, in 2015, run a survey in which 80% of UK managers admitted discriminating against people based on regional accents.

In particular, accents from London, Liverpool, Birmingham Newcastle, and Glasgow were the most discriminated against. This is just one of several studies worldwide about accent discrimination.

Giving a job to a candidate you clicked with because you went to the same school, or are interested in the same hobbies, is not unconscious bias, especially if they are a different gender or ethnicity from you. Is this:

• True?

• False?

Answer explanation

B – False

This is an example of affinity bias, which means favoring someone because they share something in common with you, such as similar interests or educational background.

If you perceive a colleague who is working flexible hours as lazy, it is not unconscious bias, if later they avoid some responsibilities. Is this:

• True

• False

Answer explanation

B – False

This is an example of confirmation bias. If we have an ingrained belief about something, we later seek evidence to confirm this belief.

So, for example, if you think that people who work flexible hours are lazy, you will look for any pattern in their behavior that confirms this.

Conversely, if somebody who works normal hours adopts the same behavior, you might justify it, thinking it is just a one-off and finding a plausible explanation for it.

If one of your employees returns from maternity leave, it is unconscious bias to spare her the trouble of going on business trips or taking on extra responsibilities. Is this:

• True

• False

Answer explanation

A – True

This is an example of so-called benevolence bias. You might think you are doing a new mum a favor by sparing her extra stress. However, this is for her to decide so you should at least ask her what she thinks.

Assuming that, because somebody just had a baby, she may not want extra responsibilities, implies unconscious assumptions on motherhood.

Instead, everybody is different, and assuming that someone wants to take it easy after having a baby might just harm her career.