Implicit Bias as Mental Imagery
Bence Nánay
Abstract
Abstract What is the mental representation that is responsible for implicit bias? What is this representation that mediates between the trigger and the biased behavior? My claim is that this representation is neither a propositional attitude nor a mere association (as the two major accounts of implicit bias claim). Rather, it is mental imagery: perceptual processing that is not directly triggered by sensory input. I argue that this view captures the advantages of the two standard accounts without inheriting their disadvantages. Further, this view also explains why manipulating mental imagery is among the most efficient ways of counteracting implicit bias.
Topics & Concepts
Representation (politics)Mental representationMental imagePerceptionCognitive psychologyPsychologyImplicit biasAssociation (psychology)Implicit-association testComputer scienceCognitionSocial psychologyPoliticsNeuroscienceLawPolitical sciencePsychotherapistPsychology of Moral and Emotional JudgmentSocial and Intergroup PsychologyCultural Differences and Values