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Technical University of Munich

Unconscious Bias

The term “bias” describes prejudices against a situation, person, or group. Such prejudices may be represented by individuals, groups, or institutions. The consequences of biases can be both negative and positive, but regarding disadvantaged groups, they tend to have negative consequences.

Biases can occur both consciously and unconsciously. The latter is called "unconscious" or "implicit bias". Everyone has unconscious biases, for instance regarding the age, gender, origin, or appearance of a person or group, and these prejudices could even be contrary to conscious personal values. The unconsciousness in particular makes it difficult to detect and counteract any unconscious biases.

Unconscious Bias in Teaching

Within the university context, it is important to pay close attention to unconscious biases during teaching and examinations. Work performance, for example, is often judged differently depending on the gender of the evaluated person. However, not only gender, but many other aspects may influence the evaluation of examinations. Some tips for fairer exam evaluations are summarized by ProLehre in an explanatory video (German only): Unconscious Biases in Prüfungen - YouTube.

Furthermore, lecturers may also be perceived differently depending on their appearance and characteristics. Studies indicate that white men in particular benefit from (unconscious) prejudice. Therefore, it is also important to be aware of possible biases during teaching evaluations in order to counteract misrepresentation due to prejudices.

Further Informationen

If you have any questions or concerns regarding "unconscious bias", please contact the diversity or women's representatives of the faculty. You can find their contact details on the faculty's Diversity webpage.

Further information on the subject can also be found under the following links:

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