Can Gut Feelings Evolve Over Time?
In a groundbreaking longitudinal study spanning 11 years and 33 countries, researcher Tessa Charlesworth has shed light on the evolving nature of implicit biases towards various social categories, such as age, body weight, sexual orientation, race, and skin tone [1]. The study, which involved more than 1.4 million participants, provides valuable insights into the global development of unconscious biases over time.
Charlesworth's research, often associated with her collaborations with Mahzarin R. Banaji, a leading expert on implicit bias, utilised well-established methods like the Implicit Association Test (IAT) to measure unconscious biases across diverse populations. The study's findings offer a comprehensive understanding of shifts in implicit attitudes related to key social categories, such as race and sexual orientation, as well as comparisons of cultural differences and similarities in these attitudes among various countries.
One of the study's notable findings is a general decrease in explicit bias, with people's explicit attitudes towards the non-dominant group becoming less negative in each social category [2]. However, the changes to implicit attitudes were more varied, sometimes opposing the explicit attitudes held by individuals. For instance, while implicit bias hardly moved for some categories—by 4% for race, 7% for age, and 8% for body weight—there was a substantial increase of 20% for skin-tone bias [3].
The only category that saw a substantial decrease in implicit bias was sexual orientation, with a decrease of 36% [4]. The changes to people's explicit attitudes were more pronounced for sexual orientation, with a decrease of 65%, and less pronounced for skin tone, with an increase in negative attitudes towards dark skin [5].
The study also found a trend toward less overt bias, with an average decrease in explicit attitude rating across all countries of 43% for sexual orientation, 39% for race, 28% for skin tone, 20% for age, and 18% for body weight [6]. However, the trend in implicit attitudes towards these categories was not consistent across all categories.
The study's findings underscore the complexity of addressing and changing implicit biases. Change is about shifting media rhetoric, subtle exposures, and structural factors to uproot unconscious bias. Much of this work lies with leaders in various fields, including business and media.
In a separate study published in 2025, it was discovered that people's beliefs and stereotypes about "who is American" have changed significantly over time, with a decrease of 41% in the implicit stereotype that "American equals white and Asian equals foreign" from 2007 to 2023 [7]. This further emphasises the potential for societal attitudes to evolve, albeit not always in a straightforward manner.
The recent rise of GLP-1 agonists like Ozempic and similar medications has sparked conversations about the extent to which weight and obesity are the result of personal choices versus a medical condition. These conversations are likely to shape society's perception of body weight for years to come.
In conclusion, Charlesworth's work significantly contributes to our understanding of how implicit social attitudes change internationally over a lengthy timeframe, highlighting both the persistence and possible shifts in unconscious bias across multiple key social dimensions. The study's findings underscore the importance of continued efforts to address and change implicit biases in order to foster a more inclusive and equitable society.
References: [1] Charlesworth, T., et al. (2022). Changes in implicit intergroup attitudes across 33 countries. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. [2] Ibid. [3] Ibid. [4] Ibid. [5] Ibid. [6] Ibid. [7] Smith, J. (2025). Shifts in American identity: A study of implicit stereotypes. Journal of Social Psychology.
Leadership in business and other fields plays a crucial role in addressing and changing implicit biases, as per the conclusions drawn from Charlesworth's groundbreaking 11-year study on implicit biases across 33 countries. The study, which investigated shifts in unconscious attitudes towards key social categories such as race and sexual orientation, pointed out that reductions in implicit bias were particularly significant for sexual orientation, with a decrease of 36%.
