Patterns of Implicit and Explicit Attitudes V: Increase in Bias from 2021–2024 (WP-26-01)
Tessa Charlesworth, Meriel Doyle, and Mahzarin Banaji
Between 2007–2020, implicit and explicit intergroup attitudes declined in bias steadily and were forecasted to continue toward attitude neutrality. New data from 2.5 million U.S. respondents (2021–2024) reveal that these encouraging trends have stalled or reversed. The largest increases in bias emerged for sexuality, transgender, race and skin-tone bias; 10–108% increases on explicit and 6–13% increases on implicit measures. Age, disability, and body weight bias also increased, but at slower rates. Exploratory breakpoint analyses showed that implicit attitudes were leading indicators of change, reversing trend earlier than explicit reports. Reversals were widespread across demographic groups for most topics, though strongest among conservatives for sexuality and transgender biases. Surprisingly, younger respondents (who had previously shown the largest decreases in bias) now showed greater increases in bias. Even after robust bias reduction spanning over 14 years, the new observed bias increases since 2021 highlight how minds get reshaped by sweeping sociocultural change.