The more interesting third result is a distinction between bias and bigotry. Consider a bigoted employer and a biased employer: the bigoted employer doesn’t like members of a particular group and the biased employer misjudges members of a particular group. [...] if you introduce a blind system that masks the disliked characteristic of potential hires, they have opposite responses. The bigoted employer is made worse off- now when choosing between the top set of candidates he might accidentally choose a candidate that would satisfy him less than one he chose with perfect information- but the biased employer is made better off [...]
This is a really interesting point. One thing of note is that in practice there’s likely a spectrum between outright bigotry and completely unconscious bias, just as there are points in-between deliberate lying and innocent self-deception.
This is a really interesting point. One thing of note is that in practice there’s likely a spectrum between outright bigotry and completely unconscious bias, just as there are points in-between deliberate lying and innocent self-deception.