Confirmation Bias

Last year I sent in a question about Confirmation Bias and appreciated your response. It has helped me identify and evaluate some of my long-held biases (that I’ve always called ‘Beliefs’). Recently I heard the term “cognitive shortcuts” in reference to “implicit bias.” Could you help me understand this?

Thank you for your question. Bias certainly is a current topic. The California Board of Nursing recently reminded providers of continuing education that Assembly Bill 241, signed into law in October 2, 2019, added section 2736.5 to the Business and Professions Code (BPC). Beginning January 1, 2022, the CA BRN requires all continuing education courses for Registered Nurse (RN) licensees to contain curriculum that includes the understanding of “implicit bias.” It appears that all human brains have a built-in bias—often related to issues of safety. A bias is simply a strong feeling for or against something that tends to influence one’s actions. It can be positive or negative. I will begin my weekday blogs this year with a more in-depth exploration of this topic, including your question about implicit bias and cognitive shortcuts (or Heuristics, as they are known in the field of psychology).