Blindspot
For more than three decades, Mahzarin R. Banaji and Anthony G. Greenwald have worked together to understand how the mind works in social circumstances. Greenwald lectures at the University of Washington, whereas Banaji teaches at Harvard.
Leading psychologists Mahzarin R. Banaji and Anthony G. Greenwald challenge these self-perceptions as they investigate the hidden biases we all carry from a lifetime of exposure to cultural attitudes about age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, social class, sexuality, disability status, and nationality.
The authors' metaphor for the part of the mind that harbors hidden biases is "Blindspot." Banaji and Greenwald dispute the extent to which our views of social groupings impact our likes and dislikes, as well as our judgments about people's character, abilities, and potential, without our awareness or conscious control.
The authors of Blindspot uncover hidden prejudices based on their experience with the Implicit Association Test, a method that has transformed how scientists learn about the human mind and provides us with a glimpse into what lies within the metaphoric blindspot.
The "good people" in the title are those among us who endeavor to align our actions with our intentions. Blindspot's goal is to describe the science in simple enough terms so well-intentioned people can attain that alignment. We may "outsmart the machine" in our thoughts by becoming more aware so that we can be more fair to those around us. Entering this book is an invitation to learn about our own thinking.
Blindspot is a book that will challenge and change readers for years to come. It is brilliant, authoritative, and completely accessible.
Author: Mahzarin R. Banaji and Anthony G. Greenwald
Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/Blindspot-Hidden-Biases-Good-People/dp/0345528433/
Ratings: 4.5 out of 5 stars (from 2278 reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #8,221 in Books
#7 in Behavioral Psychology (Books)
#54 in History & Philosophy of Science (Books)
#93 in Popular Social Psychology & Interactions
