Microaggression is a term used for commonplace daily verbal, behavioral or environmental slights, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative attitudes toward stigmatized or culturally marginalized groups. For example, a person might comment that an Asian American employee speaks English well, implying that they are not a native speaker or a full citizen. Another might ask where an American Indian student is from, assuming that they are not from the United States. A woman may cross the street when she sees an African American man walking toward her at night, indicating that she perceives him as a threat.
Microaggressions are harmful because they create a hostile and invalidating climate for the target group, lower their self-esteem and performance, and erode their sense of belonging and inclusion. Moreover, microaggressions can have cumulative and long-term effects on the physical and mental health of the recipients, such as increased stress, anxiety, depression, and cardiovascular problems.
How can we address microaggression in our society? One possible approach is to use the insights and tools of behavioral economics, which is the study of how people make decisions and behave in real-life situations, often influenced by cognitive biases, emotions, and social norms. Behavioral economics can help us understand why people engage in microaggressive behaviors, and how we can design interventions to reduce them.
Why Do People Engage in Microaggressive Behaviors?
One reason why people engage in microaggressive behaviors is that they are often unaware of their own implicit biases and prejudices. Implicit bias refers to the unconscious associations and attitudes that we have toward certain groups of people, based on stereotypes and social conditioning. For example, we may implicitly associate women with nurturing and men with leadership, or we may implicitly associate Black people with crime and White people with innocence. These implicit biases can influence our perceptions, judgments, and actions toward others, without our conscious awareness or control.
Another reason why people engage in microaggressive behaviors is that they are influenced by social norms and expectations. Social norms are the unwritten rules and standards of behavior that govern how we interact with others in a given context. For example, we may conform to the norm of politeness by saying “please” and “thank you”, or we may conform to the norm of reciprocity by returning a favor. However, social norms can also be negative and discriminatory, such as the norm of racism or sexism. For example, we may follow the norm of racism by avoiding eye contact or using derogatory language toward a person of color, or we may follow the norm of sexism by interrupting or mansplaining to a woman.
How Can We Reduce Microaggressive Behaviors?
One way to reduce microaggressive behaviors is to increase awareness and education about implicit bias and its consequences. By making people more conscious of their own biases and how they affect others, we can motivate them to change their attitudes and behaviors. For example, we can use implicit bias tests (such as the Implicit Association Test) to measure and reveal one’s implicit preferences for certain groups over others. We can also use debiasing strategies (such as perspective-taking, counter-stereotypical examples, and accountability) to reduce the impact of implicit bias on one’s decisions and actions.
Another way to reduce microaggressive behaviors is to change the social norms and incentives that encourage them. By creating a more inclusive and supportive culture that values diversity and equity, we can discourage microaggression and promote positive interactions among different groups. For example, we can use social proof (such as testimonials, role models, and peer feedback) to show that microaggression is unacceptable and harmful, and that respect and empathy are desirable and beneficial. We can also use nudges (such as reminders, defaults, and framing) to guide people toward more respectful and empathetic choices and behaviors.
Examples of Microaggression and How to Address Them
To illustrate how behavioral economics can help us address microaggression, let us consider some common examples of microaggression in different domains (such as education, work, health care), and how we can apply some of the interventions mentioned above.
Education
– Microaggression: A teacher asks a Latino student “Where are you really from?”, implying that they are not a true American.
– Intervention: The teacher can take an implicit bias test to become aware of their own assumptions about nationality and ethnicity. The teacher can also learn about the history and contributions of Latino Americans in the United States.
– Microaggression: A classmate tells an Asian student “You are so smart, you must be good at math”, implying that they have a natural talent for math and not other subjects.
– Intervention: The classmate can use perspective-taking to imagine how the Asian student feels when they hear such a comment. The classmate can also expose themselves to counter-stereotypical examples of Asian Americans who excel in other fields, such as arts, sports, or humanities.
– Microaggression: A counselor tells a female student “You should major in something more practical, like nursing or teaching”, implying that they are not capable of pursuing more challenging or prestigious careers.
– Intervention: The counselor can be held accountable for their advice and its impact on the female student’s aspirations and self-confidence. The counselor can also be exposed to role models and testimonials of successful women in various professions, such as science, engineering, or law.
Work
– Microaggression: A manager tells a Black employee “You are very articulate, you speak very well”, implying that they are surprised by their communication skills or that they are an exception among their group.
– Intervention: The manager can take an implicit bias test to become aware of their own stereotypes about Black people and language. The manager can also use debiasing strategies to reduce the influence of their bias on their evaluations and feedback.
– Microaggression: A colleague tells a Muslim employee “You don’t look like a terrorist”, implying that they associate Islam with violence or extremism.
– Intervention: The colleague can use perspective-taking to understand how the Muslim employee feels when they hear such a remark. The colleague can also learn about the diversity and complexity of Islam and its followers, and avoid generalizing or essentializing them.
– Microaggression: A client tells a gay employee “I don’t have a problem with your lifestyle, as long as you don’t flaunt it”, implying that they are uncomfortable with their sexual orientation or that they expect them to hide it.
– Intervention: The client can be shown social proof that microaggression is harmful and unacceptable, and that respect and empathy are beneficial and desirable. The client can also be nudged to use more inclusive and affirming language, such as “identity” instead of “lifestyle”.
Health Care
– Microaggression: A doctor tells a Native American patient “You should stop drinking so much, it’s bad for your health”, implying that they have a substance abuse problem or that they are irresponsible.
– Intervention: The doctor can take an implicit bias test to become aware of their own prejudices about Native Americans and alcohol. The doctor can also use debiasing strategies to reduce the impact of their bias on their diagnosis and treatment.
– Microaggression: A nurse tells a transgender patient “What is your real name?”, implying that they do not accept or respect their gender identity or expression.
– Intervention: The nurse can use perspective-taking to appreciate how the transgender patient feels when they hear such a question. The nurse can also use counter-stereotypical examples to challenge their assumptions about gender and sexuality.
– Microaggression: A pharmacist tells a disabled patient “You are so brave, I don’t know how you do it”, implying that they pity them or that they see them as inferior or helpless.
– Intervention: The pharmacist can be held accountable for their comment and its effect on the disabled patient’s dignity and autonomy. The pharmacist can also be exposed to role models and testimonials of empowered and independent people with disabilities.
Microaggression is a pervasive and pernicious phenomenon that affects many people from marginalized groups in various domains of life. It can have negative consequences for their well-being, performance, and inclusion. However, we can use behavioral economics to understand why people engage in microaggressive behaviors, and how we can design interventions to reduce them. By increasing awareness and education about implicit bias, changing the social norms and incentives that encourage microaggression, and applying specific interventions to address common examples of microaggression, we can create a more respectful and empathetic society for everyone.
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