Thought Experiment
1) Write down the first thoughts that come to your mind after reading this sentence:
“Jamal is 18 years old, lives on the South Side of Chicago, and was pulled over by the police.”
Why was Jamal pulled over by the police?
2) Now write down your immediate thoughts to this sentence:
“Jimmy is 18 years old and drives a pick-up truck in rural Georgia. He was pulled over by the police.”
Why was Jimmy pulled over by the police?
3) Compare and contrast your answers.
What contextual factors in the sentence mattered in your conclusions?
What biases or assumptions informed your conclusions?
What other factors do you think informed your conclusions?
Was there a difference in importance of factors that informed your conclusions, between the two scenarios?
