Which statement about implicit bias is true?

• A. It has no impact on investigative work.
• B. Implicit bias can influence our actions, perceptions, behaviors, and decisionmaking.
• C. It always improves objectivity.
• D. It only affects attitudes, not decisions.

Answer: (B)

Implicit bias refers to unconscious attitudes or stereotypes that influence how we notice, interpret, and respond to people, events, and information. In investigative work, these hidden biases can shape what we pay attention to, how we assess evidence, the questions we ask, and the judgments we ultimately make. That is why the statement claiming that implicit bias can influence our actions, perceptions, behaviors, and decisionmaking is the best choice: it acknowledges the wide reach of these unconscious influences across both thought and action, not just attitudes alone.

If you consider why the other ideas don’t fit, note that bias does have an impact on investigative work rather than none; it can skew attention, interpretation, and conclusions. It does not automatically improve objectivity; in fact, it tends to undermine it by nudging conclusions toward preconceived notions. And it affects decisions as well as attitudes—the unconscious preferences that people hold can steer choices about which leads to pursue, how to evaluate evidence, and what hypotheses to prioritize.