Implicit Bias

Implicit bias is someone's subconscious opinions and stereotypes toward a person or population. This implicit bias can affect how we treat others and cause us to treat someone better or worse than another person based upon our subconscious opinions and beliefs. Our implicit biases are not formed quickly, but rather throughout our entire lives. It can be based upon numerous factors, including the opinions and beliefs of our families and friends that have shaped the way that we think, our religion, culture, and the media.

Learning about implicit bias is very important for OTs and those in the health profession field. This is important to learn about because implicit bias can potentially affect how we treat our clients. With occupational therapy being a client-centered field, it is essential for us as practitioners to treat every patient the same way, regardless of age, sex, gender, race, religion, culture, etc. It is our duty to ensure the best care possible to each client, and we cannot let our own subconscious beliefs get in the way of that duty.

While our own implicit bias is formed throughout the years, it takes work to reverse that implicit bias. The reversal is not immediate and cannot be achieved in a day, but instead is achieved throughout the years as it was formed. There are ways that we can become aware of our own implicit biases. These include taking the Implicit Bias survey, self-reflection, continuing education on the topic, and much more. Once we are aware, we can start taking the proper steps toward change.