The Air We Breathe: Implicit Bias And Police Shootings

Nearly three weeks have passed since George Floyd, a black man, was killed by police in Minneapolis. Since then, people across the United States, and the world, have taken to the streets to protest and mourn his death. These protests have accelerated a global conversation on the issue of racism and police brutality — especially in communities of color.

But this conversation is not new.

This week on Hidden Brain, we look at research on the role that implicit bias plays in killings like these — and how such bias affects everyone in the culture, not just police officers.

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This episode includes references to research by Mahzarin Banaji, Eric Hehman, Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, and Joshua Correll. You'll also hear from Philip Tetlock. If you'd like to take the Implicit Association Test yourself after listening, click here. [Copyright 2020 NPR]