A proposal to combat unconscious bias using VR

Abstract

As society becomes increasingly aware of the significance of systemic issues, unconscious bias has been identified as a barrier towards making spaces more diverse, inclusive, and accepting. Combating unconscious bias is an important goal both within the workplace, technology industry, and in the culture more broadly. In universities and other institutions, there have been numerous attempts to address unconscious bias through psychological assessments like the implicit-association test, and traditional methods, such as seminars and state-mandated online training. Such methods tend to be based on the assumption that simply becoming aware of the idea of bias is enough to reduce or eliminate an individual’s level of bias. In this white paper, we evaluate the issues associated with traditional unconscious bias training, and argue that these methods are unlikely to be useful tools for promoting empathy and combating bias in the workplace. In its place, we provide guidelines for using VR more effectively as a bias mitigation tool, and propose Sisu VR’s Empower Now Program as a potential solution.