One form of confirmation bias that happens to people is that certain events may seem like they are happening more often than normal if for some reason they start paying more attention to those events. The opposite is also true: Such events may seem like they happen more rarely than they actually do, if people do not pay attention to it.
Especially in the United States, especially in the current political climate, many people claim that there's rampant racism everywhere, and one of the classical examples given is that if a white person enters some store, it's much less likely that an employee will check on him (and eg. ask "do you need some help?") than if it's a black person. The idea being that store employees are more prejudiced against black people and think that they are there to steal something and thus will keep a closer eye on them and make their presence known by asking them a seemingly innocuous and polite question (which actual purpose is to send the message "I'm watching you, so don't try anything funny").
I suspect, however, that in many cases this may be confirmation bias.
Most white people, because of their upbringing and surrounding society, aren't conditioned to look for this kind of incident, and therefore they don't pay much attention to it, don't think about it, and forget it even happening. Thus, in the long run, most white people perceive it (ie. store clerks approaching them and asking if they need some help) happening much less often than it actually does.
Conversely, many black people have been conditioned into expecting racism and prejudice everywhere, and thus they have been conditioned into paying attention to any exchange and even in their everyday life that could potentially be caused by racial prejudice. Thus when a store employee approaches them and asks if they need any help, they immediately suspect that it may be racial prejudice, and therefore they pay attention to it and remember it.
Thus the false illusion may form where both white and black people think these interactions happen more often to black people than to white people, when in fact that might not actually be the case. The actual explanation may be that black people may tend to remember these interactions more easily (and even get an exaggerated impression of how often it happens) because they are expecting and looking for these interactions, while white people just don't pay attention.
Especially in the United States, especially in the current political climate, many people claim that there's rampant racism everywhere, and one of the classical examples given is that if a white person enters some store, it's much less likely that an employee will check on him (and eg. ask "do you need some help?") than if it's a black person. The idea being that store employees are more prejudiced against black people and think that they are there to steal something and thus will keep a closer eye on them and make their presence known by asking them a seemingly innocuous and polite question (which actual purpose is to send the message "I'm watching you, so don't try anything funny").
I suspect, however, that in many cases this may be confirmation bias.
Most white people, because of their upbringing and surrounding society, aren't conditioned to look for this kind of incident, and therefore they don't pay much attention to it, don't think about it, and forget it even happening. Thus, in the long run, most white people perceive it (ie. store clerks approaching them and asking if they need some help) happening much less often than it actually does.
Conversely, many black people have been conditioned into expecting racism and prejudice everywhere, and thus they have been conditioned into paying attention to any exchange and even in their everyday life that could potentially be caused by racial prejudice. Thus when a store employee approaches them and asks if they need any help, they immediately suspect that it may be racial prejudice, and therefore they pay attention to it and remember it.
Thus the false illusion may form where both white and black people think these interactions happen more often to black people than to white people, when in fact that might not actually be the case. The actual explanation may be that black people may tend to remember these interactions more easily (and even get an exaggerated impression of how often it happens) because they are expecting and looking for these interactions, while white people just don't pay attention.
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