A police officer sees a Black man holding a phone and instinctively reaches for his weapon, despite knowing that he is unarmed. Which type of bias is primarily at play in this scenario?

In this scenario, the police officer is likely experiencing implicit bias. Implicit bias refers to the attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions unconsciously. Even though the officer knows that the man is unarmed, his instinctive reaction to reach for his weapon suggests that he has an automatic, unconscious association between Black individuals and potential danger. For example, if someone has been exposed to negative stereotypes about Black men, they might react fearfully without even realizing why. This shows how implicit bias can lead to quick judgments that don't reflect a person's actual intentions or character.