I know my own mind.
I am able to assess others in a fair and accurate way.
These self-perceptions are challenged by leading psychologists
Mahzarin R. Banaji and Anthony G. Greenwald as they explore 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.
“Blindspot” is the authors’ metaphor for the portion of the mind
that houses hidden biases. Writing with simplicity and verve,
Banaji and Greenwald question the extent to which our perceptions
of social groups—without our awareness or conscious control—shape
our likes and dislikes and our judgments about people’s
character, abilities, and potential.
In Blindspot, the authors reveal hidden biases based on their
experience with the Implicit Association Test, a method that has
revolutionized the way scientists learn about the human mind and
that gives us a glimpse into what lies within the metaphoric
blindspot.
The title’s “good people” are those of us who strive to align our
behavior with our intentions. The of Blindspot is to explain
the science in plain enough language to help well-intentioned
people achieve that alignment. By gaining awareness, we can adapt
beliefs and behavior and “outsmart the machine” in our heads so
we can be fairer to those around us. Venturing into this book is
an invitation to understand our own minds.
Brilliant, authoritative, and utterly accessible, Blindspot is a
book that will challenge and change readers for years to come.
Praise for Blindspot
“Conversational . . . easy to read, and best of all, it has the
potential, at least, to change the way you think about
yourself.”—Leonard Mlodinow, The New York Review of Books
“Accessible and authoritative . . . While we may not have much
power to eradicate our own prejudices, we can counteract them.
The first step is to turn a hidden bias into a visible one. . . .
What if we’re not the magnanimous people we think we are?”—The
Washington Post
“Banaji and Greenwald deserve a major award for writing such a
lively and engaging book that conveys an important message:
Mental processes that we are not aware of can affect what we
think and what we do. Blindspot is one of the most illuminating
books ever written on this topic.”—Elizabeth F. Loftus, Ph.D.,
distinguished professor, University of California, Irvine; past
president, Association for Psychological Science; author of
Eyewitness Testimony
“A wonderfully cogent, socially relevant, and engaging book that
helps us think smarter and more humanely. This is psychological
science at its best, by two of its shining stars.”—David G.
Myers, professor, Hope College, and author of Intuition: Its
Powers and Perils
“[The authors’] work has revolutionized social psychology,
proving that—unconsciously—people are affected by dangerous
stereotypes.”—Psychology Today
“An accessible and persuasive account of the causes of
stereotyping and discrimination . . . Banaji and Greenwald will
keep even nonpsychology students engaged with plenty of
self-examinations and compelling elucidations of case studies and
experiments.”—Publishers Weekly
“A stimulating that should help readers deal with
irrational biases that they would otherwise consciously
reject.”—Kirkus Reviews
From the Hardcover edition.