Prejudice vs. Discernment: Bias

[DISCLAIMER]

Without using any resources, are you able to draw a meaningful distinction between prejudice, discernment, and bias? If not, perhaps you’ll be able to by the time that you finish reading this post. Per the American Psychological Association (APA), prejudice is thusly defined:

1. a negative attitude toward another person or group formed in advance of any experience with that person or group. Prejudices can include an affective component (e.g., nervousness, anger, contempt, pity, hatred) and a cognitive component (assumptions and beliefs about groups, including stereotypes).

Prejudice is typically manifested behaviorally through discriminatory behavior. Prejudicial attitudes tend to be resistant to change because they distort our perception of information about the target group.

Prejudice based on racial grouping is racism; prejudice based on perceived sexual orientation is homophobia and biphobia; prejudice based on sex or gender (including transphobia) is sexism; prejudice based on chronological age is ageism; and prejudice based on disability is ableism.

2. any preconceived attitude or view, whether favorable or unfavorable.

APA definitions one and two are substantially different from one another. The first description regards a negative connotation (e.g., prejudice against women). The second definition concerns either a favorable or unfavorable implication (e.g., prejudice in favor of women).

Given the context in which one uses the term “prejudice,” the outcome of one’s beliefs may relate to positive, neutral, or negative consequences. Without understanding which form of the term is being applied, an individual may endure unpleasant outcomes in social settings.

This is where it may be useful to discuss discernment, which one source defines as “the ability to perceive, understand, and judge things clearly, especially those that are not obvious or straightforward.” Whereas prejudice is a cognitive matter, discernment is a matter of ability.

For clarity, prejudice is a preconceived and often negative judgment made with little-to-no evidence. Contrastingly, discernment is the ability to perceive truth about reality, assessing circumstances based on evidence, so that positive, neutral, or negative judgements may result.

Thus, prejudice can be restrictive to understanding, while discernment is expansive in regard to making informed decisions. Again, this is all dependent upon which APA definitional standard is applied (i.e., definition one or two).

Perhaps a personal example of each term may be helpful. I’ll start with the first APA definition of prejudice that carries with it a negative connotation.

In childhood, both my mom and dad taught me a prejudicially stereotypical attitude against non-straight people. I often heard both parents use the terms “faggot,” “fag,” “queer,” “sissy,” and so forth and so on.

For example, given the dogmatic religious tenets up with which I was raised, I believed that behavior of gay men was “detestable” or an “abomination,” depending on which translation of Leviticus 18:22 one preferred. Back then, I incorrectly thought that people were their behavior.

Therefore, I concluded that gay men were detestable and an abomination. This misguided prejudicial perspective was heavily reinforced by both my mom and dad. For instance, in fifth grade, my big brother from the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America came out as gay.

When learning of this, my mom sent me to live with my dad, because she didn’t want her son to become a “faggot.” My dad’s expressed views changed on this matter. Initially, he told me that he’d disown me if I ever came out as gay. Later, he altered that edict to that of a death threat.

Even though I loved my big brother and enjoyed the time we shared – none of which was of an inappropriate, romantic, or sexual nature – I internalized prejudice learned from my parents. As well, I discussed the consequence of my unhelpful belief (i.e., homophobia) in Tolerance.

Now, I’ll address the second APA definition of prejudice that carries with it a favorable implication. In adulthood, I eventually rejected the negatively prejudicial attitude that I learned in childhood – due in large part to Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT).

Specifically, as stated in Adding Fuel to the Fire, “When providing psychoeducational lessons on REBT, I invite individuals to understand that people aren’t their thoughts, beliefs, feelings, or behavior.” Even if God considered gay behavior as abominable, gay men aren’t their behavior.

People are merely fallible human beings. We aren’t detestable or abominations. Of course, not long after I discovered REBT was also when I became agnostic (a person who holds the view that any ultimate reality, such as a supreme being, is unknown and probably unknowable).

As such, I don’t care who is or isn’t gay. To whom other people are attracted isn’t something over which I have control or influence, let alone concern. Ergo, my favorable prejudicial attitude is one of indifference regarding gay men. It just doesn’t matter to me one way or another.

Now, I’ll provide an example of discernment. As a self-determined and autonomous individual who has personal agency, as well as personal responsibility and accountability (collectively “ownership”), I have the ability to perceive, understand, and judge things as clearly as I can.

Therefore, I took personal ownership of my beliefs in adulthood by rejecting negatively prejudicial attitudes up with which I was raised. The ability to do so reflects discernment. Given context about prejudice and discernment, now consider that the APA thusly defines bias:

1. partiality: an inclination or predisposition for or against something. See also prejudice.

2. any tendency or preference, such as a response bias or test bias.

3. systematic error arising during sampling, data collection, or data analysis. See biased estimator; biased sampling.

4. any deviation of a measured or calculated quantity from its actual (true) value, such that the measurement or calculation is unrepresentative of the item of interest. —biased adj.

Regarding the current blogpost, only definition number one is applicable. Expanding upon this description, one source states:

Some biases are positive and helpful—like choosing to only eat foods that are considered healthy or staying away from someone who has knowingly caused harm. But biases are often based on stereotypes, rather than actual knowledge of an individual or circumstance. Whether positive or negative, such cognitive shortcuts can result in prejudgments that lead to rash decisions or discriminatory practices.

Accurately, a separate source expresses of these common biases, “We all have biases that affect all aspects of our lives and the lives of others with whom we interact.” The biases you and I have are inherent, and may be subject to prejudice and discernment.

Therefore, I argue that it’s a matter of personal ownership to choose which biases best serve your interests and goals – at least those biases which are known to you (i.e., explicit), because people aren’t necessarily aware of their unknown biases (i.e., implicit). This is your empowering ability!

If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life—helping you to sharpen your critical thinking skills, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.

As a psychotherapist, I’m pleased to try to help people with an assortment of issues ranging from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.

At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!

Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW

Photo credit (edited), Designed by Freepik, fair use

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