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Bias and Microaggressions: Impact, Prevention and Intervention

Biases are mental shortcuts we all rely on to make quick judgments - but when they go unexamined, they can distort how we view others and contribute to harmful environments. Unconscious biases can influence decision‑making, shape hiring practices and reinforce interpersonal, institutional and systemic inequities. Microaggressions - subtle, often unintentional slights - can also create feelings of exclusion, frustration and hopelessness, affecting the well‑being of equity‑deserving community members.

This module introduces different types of biases, microaggressions and macroaggressions. You’ll deepen your awareness of how these behaviours impact both those who experience them and those who enact them, and learn strategies to recognize and address implicit bias. You will also explore microintervention tactics that help interrupt microaggressions in real time and foster a more inclusive culture.

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

  • Identify different types of conscious and unconscious biases
  • Recognize microaggressions and macroaggressions and understand their impact
  • Reflect on how bias influences decisions, behaviours, and interactions
  • Apply strategies to uncover, question and address implicit biases
  • Use microintervention tactics to interrupt microaggressions effectively
  • Build awareness of how bias and microaggressions contribute to systemic inequities

Program Information

  • This module counts toward the Anti-Racism Foundations Certificate Program offered by the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Western
  • This module is offered in an asynchronous format; 100% online
  • This module takes approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes to complete
  • This module is free for all Western students and employees
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Frequently Asked Questions

Everyone can retake the quiz multiple times and they are granted a Certificate of Completion once they achieve an 80% on the test. The module is also tracked through MyHR. The quiz can be re-taken as many times as needed until successful completion.
The curriculum for this module was carefully developed considering current best practices in teaching and learning in the field of EDI and present research in anti-racism. The Bias and Microaggressions: Impact, Prevention, and Intervention module was also created with the specific context of Western University and the City of London in mind and in consultation with faculty members who are experts in anti-racism, the Office of Indigenous Initiatives, Hillel Western, Western Research, staff, student leaders, and diverse Western student associations.
The Bias and Microaggressions: Impact, Prevention, and Intervention module was reviewed by external experts in anti-racism and EDI-D, faculty members who are also experts in this field, Western leaders, Human Resources, Student Experience, the Office of Indigenous Initiatives, USC, SOGS, SGPS, members of the PMA, UWOSA, UWOFA, and many members of student associations at Western, among others. The module was also piloted with Western Research, WORLDiscoveries, Research Institutes, BrainsCAN, ACVS and faculty. The module was approved by Associate Vice-President EDI Dr. Opiyo Oloya.