Social biases essay

A present study, similar to that employed by MacLeod, Mathews, and Tata (1986) utilised a cognitive paradigm to examine attentional biases in mildly depressed persons. Twelve depressed and 12 non-depressed subjects were given an attentional task to which they had a series of word pairs presented to them through tachistoscope.

The individual has to realize that it is not his or her fault how he or she is viewed by others and only need to focus on being their own person and improving him or herself for his or her own benefit. Biases come in the form of stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination. It can be subtle or blatant. The core motives are belonging and controlling.

Self-serving bias is the common human tendency to attribute one’s positive outcomes or successes to personal factors, and one’s negative outcomes to external factors or factors beyond one’s control. Self-serving biases in thinking can accordingly have a general driving, motivational, function.

Biases are formed through acts of stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination. Any time an individual is judged based on his or her appearance and not ability, it is considered to be biased. Bias can be subtle or blatant. Subtle bias is used to enhance self because there is a misunderstanding of an individual present.