Do you ever find yourself making a new friend group where everybody seems like different but not-so-different versions of you? It is the excitement you get when you connect with people sharing the same interests as yours. Be it a colleague or a close friend of yours, the moment your shared interests start influencing your decision-making in favor of certain people at the workplace, you should know that it is an unconscious bias sneaking into the picture.
Explore the unconscious bias quiz to learn why one's behavior cannot be affected by one's subconscious.
What Is Unconscious Bias?
Generally, unconscious bias, also known as similarity bias or affinity bias, is the tendency to gel with people sharing similar interests or backgrounds. It can be a common historical background, a similar taste in art and music, an educational background, a similar race, gender, or even age.
While this isn’t an intentional behavior, your unintentional preferential treatment towards certain coworkers can sometimes hurt other potential employees or friends at the workplace. These unconscious biases in the workplace can result in dissatisfied employees, a negative work culture, and hostility in the workplace.
So how do you analyze if you’re being biased at work or if it is just the potential you see in the other employee? Stop surfing! We have come up with the latest unconscious bias quiz to help you get a better understanding of how similarity bias works.
This quiz will help you understand yourself and make the right decisions in the workplace. But, before we jump into this exciting quiz, let’s quickly understand what is similarity bias.
Top 20 Unconscious Bias Quiz (With Answers)
1. Which of the following statements about Unconscious Bias is true?
A. Unconscious Bias only affects hiring decisions and promotions.
B. We can better manage and reduce unconscious bias when we slow down and focus on the way we are thinking about an individual.
Answer: B
2. Which of the following phrases best explains the term bias?
A. Bias is always a conscious decision
B. Bias only benefits the person who has it
C. Bias is limited to personal opinions
D. Bias is favoring colleagues who share similar backgrounds, interests, or experiences
Answer: D
3. What is the definition of affinity bias in the workplace?
A. An unconscious tendency to favor people similar to ourselves in the workplace
B. A conscious strategy to promote only the most experienced employees
C. A dislike towards people from different backgrounds
D. A conscious choice you make about who you prefer to work with
Answer: A
4. Which of the following best describes bias within the hiring process?
A. Selecting only candidates who graduated from a top university
B. Hiring based solely on the applicant's knowledge, skills, and experience
C. Choosing new employees without consideration for their qualifications
D. Selecting candidates who best fit a preconceived ideal of the role, regardless of their actual qualifications
Answer: D
5. How can we mitigate unconscious bias in the hiring process?
A. Rely solely on resumes and cover letters for selection
B. Give hiring managers complete autonomy in the process
C. Use standardized interview questions for all candidates
D. Prioritize the candidate with the most outgoing personality
Answer: C
6. What is the biggest risk of unconscious bias in the workplace?
A. Creating a more positive and safe work environment
B. Missing out on talented and qualified employees
C. Increasing productivity among teams
D. Leading to a more diverse workforce
Answer: B
7. Which of the following is NOT a way to address unconscious bias in the workplace?
A. Creating diverse interview panels
B. Providing unconscious bias training for employees
C. Encouraging employees to report suspected bias incidents
D. Implementing an anonymous feedback mechanism
Answer: A
8. What is the impact of unconscious bias on performance reviews?
A. It can overlook the contributions of certain employees
B. It can lead to fairer and more objective evaluations
C. It always results in positive reinforcement
D. It strengthens team communication
Answer: A
9. Unconscious Bias can affect how we:
A. Delegate tasks
B. Give feedback
C. Listen to colleagues' ideas
D. All of the above
Answer: D
10. Unconscious bias is a deliberate attempt to discriminate against someone.
A. True
B. False
Answer: B
11. We can completely eliminate unconscious bias from the workplace
A. True
B. False
Answer: B
12. What is the main benefit of promoting awareness of unconscious bias?
A. Creating a more comfortable work environment for everyone
B. Fostering a more inclusive and equitable workplace with the necessary safety measures
C. Eliminating all forms of bias completely
D. Punishing employees who exhibit biased behavior
Answer: B
13. Unconscious bias training can help individuals:
A. Identify their own unconscious biases
B. Judge others more harshly
C. Reinforce existing prejudices
D. Avoid all interactions with people from different backgrounds
Answer: A
14. People with strong emotional intelligence are better equipped to manage unconscious bias
A. True
B. False
Answer: A
15. Companies with a focus on quotas for hiring from certain groups are the only way to address unconscious bias
A. True
B. False
Answer: B
16. Unconscious bias is more likely to occur when we are:
A. Taking our time and carefully considering all options
B. Rushed and under pressure
C. Actively seeking diverse perspectives
D. Open to new information and experiences
Answer: B
17. Affinity bias can lead to overlooking qualified candidates during the hiring process
A. True
B. False
Answer: A
18. Which of the following is an example of affinity bias in the workplace?
A. Promoting someone based on their proven track record
B. Mentoring a junior colleague from the same alma mater
C. Giving critical feedback to a friend at work
D. Disregarding a qualified candidate because of their age
Answer: B
19. A manager consistently assigns challenging projects to a young, female employee while giving routine tasks to a more experienced male colleague. This might be an example of:
A. Performance bias
B. Affinity bias
C. Ageism
D. Meritocracy
Answer: B
20. Which of the following is NOT a consequence of unconscious bias in the workplace?
A. Increased employee turnover
B. Missed opportunities for talented candidates
C. Lowered employee morale
D. A more innovative and creative team environment
Answer: D
Scenario: 1
A manager repeatedly promotes employees who share similar interests to them, overlooking others who have performed equally well but have different interests. What unconscious bias might be influencing these decisions?
Answer:
The manager may be exhibiting "Affinity Bias," where they favor employees who share similar interests or backgrounds. This bias can lead to overlooking qualified individuals who don’t share those similarities, affecting diversity and fairness in promotions.
Scenario: 2
During a team meeting, a female employee’s ideas are frequently interrupted or overshadowed by male colleagues, despite her contributions being valuable. What unconscious bias might be at play here?
Answer:
This scenario could reflect "Gender Bias," where the contributions of women are undervalued compared to those of men. This bias often results in women’s ideas being dismissed or overshadowed, affecting their visibility and career progression.
Scenario: 3
An HR manager consistently prefers to hire candidates from top-tier universities, even though applicants from other schools have similar skills and experiences. What unconscious bias might be influencing this hiring practice?
Answer:
The HR manager may be influenced by "Institutional Bias," which values credentials from prestigious institutions over others. This bias can lead to overlooking equally qualified candidates from less renowned institutions, limiting diversity and potential talent.
Scenario: 4
A team leader assumes that a new employee from a different cultural background will struggle with team integration and assigns them fewer responsibilities. What unconscious bias might be impacting this decision?
Answer:
The team leader might be showing "Cultural Bias," assuming that the employee’s cultural background will hinder their performance. This bias can lead to unfairly assigning fewer responsibilities and not recognizing the employee’s actual capabilities and contributions.
Takeaway
While similarity bias can take different forms based on similar race, gender, age, culture, or even beauty, it is important to keenly observe your biased behavior, acknowledge it, and foster (diversity, equity, and inclusivity) DEI in the workplace. Unconscious bias in the workplace can not only hinder the potential of talented individuals but also foster a less inclusive environment, ultimately holding back the company from succeeding in the market.
The best way to create a healthy work environment with zero biases is by acknowledging the existence of similarity bias in the workplace and conducting diverse Unconscious Bias Training to help your employees tackle biased behavior at the workplace.
Utilize Calibr LXP’s resourceful platform to cultivate a continuous learning experience for your employees with our ready-made course modules on Empathy at the Workplace and Optimized Interviews for Hiring Managers and Recruiters to keep a track record of your hiring process and encourage your employees to treat each other with empathy and respect.
As an enthusiastic English literature graduate, Chandni enjoys writing as much as a toddler enjoys animation. She discovered her passion for writing and expressing thoughts through this form amidst the nail-biting months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ever since then, she has volunteered in various anthology books that have been published on Amazon. Her experience working on a diverse range of verticals has enabled her to excel in this domain and face new challenges as they come. With a contagious thrill and excitement at the workplace, Chandni embraces wearing different hats and soaks up information like a sponge.