Educators use the meta-bias framework to self-diagnose bias, leverage teachable moments, and structure bias-mitigation practice¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 6 claims (6 for) · 2 studies (1 review, 1 theoretical), q1–q3 · 0 of 2 report an effect size · 6 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The article outlines three practical uses of the theory for educators: "(a) by sharpening educators' ability to diagnose when biases might negatively impact their own social interactions, (b) by helping them identify and leverage teachable moments with their students, and (c) through proactively structuring learning experiences that allow students to practice mitigating bias." Teachers can ask whether they feel defensive (ego threat) or under time pressure or cognitive load (efficiency bias), and can guide students through listening to, explaining, and recalibrating their perspectives during conflicts.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Educators need a working knowledge of the two meta-biases so the framework is simple enough to employ during teaching

Constraints¶

• The article presents these as envisioned applications of an untested theory, not as evaluated interventions

Target Learners¶

• teachers
• school leaders
• students

Target Learning Goals¶

• accurate social perspective taking
• mitigating bias in person perception

Affordances¶

• Meta Bias Theory Motivated Thinking

Claims¶

• Anchoring-and-adjusting perspective taking saves effort but adjustments systematically fall short [+W]
• Cognitive efficiency motives lead perceivers to sacrifice accuracy in person perception [+W]
• In-group/out-group bias serves both cognitive efficiency and self-enhancement simultaneously [+W]
• Boundary conditions: some biases fit the two meta-biases only with argument or for some subgroups [+W]
• Self-protection and self-enhancement motives lead perceivers to sacrifice accuracy in person perception [+W]
• A systematic review of bias-mitigation training names considering the opposite as a previously validated way to reduce judgment biases, without testing it itself [+W]

Related Strategies¶

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Gehlbach, H., & Vriesema, C. C. (2018). Meta‐bias: A practical theory of motivated thinking. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-018-9454-6