In February 2018, the New York Police Department began implementing implicit bias training for its 36,000 sworn personnel to help them explore the unconscious associations that might affect their split-second decisions and individual interactions. A study published in July 2020 by the John F. Finn Institute for Public Safety and the Center for Police Research and Policy showed that NYPD officers "expressed more awareness of the concept of implicit bias and greater willingness to try to manage it." However, researchers did not detect effects of the training on officers' enforcement behaviors. Still, the training continues to be required, and the policy department says that it believes the training has been beneficial. Which of the following statements explains why implicit bias training is perceived by the NYPD as important in terms of interpersonal communication?
a. The implicit bias training is important to the police department because it meets the requirement to receive federal training dollars. b. Training to reduce implicit bias is helpful for the officers who are under an enormous amount of stress to communicate well due to the danger they face in their jobs.
c. The implicit bias training allows the police department to identify officers with deeply seated biases and fire them to stop negative interactions with citizens.
d. Because every individual has some type of bias, learning about and becoming aware of these biases is a step toward eliminating stereotyping in interactions with citizens. During a recent Zoom classroom session, one of the professors turned off his camera and microphone and was absent for approximately ten minutes. Fortunately, there was another instructor on the video conference, although the discussion was put on hold until the professor returned. Upon his return to the conference, he apologized to the students and said that he'd received a call from the dean of his college and needed to speak to him. The students accepted his apology, and no one complained about the interruption. Which statement best explains why the students so readily accepted the situation and the professor's apology? a. Being understanding and accepting is always a good idea when dealing with people who are in a position of power over you. b. The students understood that hierarchy in communication between individuals matters, and the dean ranked higher than they did. c. The students accepted the professor's apology because the discussion was quite informal. d. Although the interruption was quite long, the students accepted the apology because they wanted the professor to give them a good grade. The assistant director of a graduate program was older than the director of the program, and it was obvious that their communication styles were not the same. In the past, the assistant director would call and leave voicemail messages, which were very seldom returned. However, when it was imperative for him to communicate with the director, he would send a text. In almost all situations when the director received a text, she would respond. While the assistant director preferred talking on the phone and getting immediate feedback, he came to realize that his boss did not communicate that way and texts were the best way to reach her. Why was it important for the assistant director to recognize how best to communicate with his boss?
a. It was important for the assistant director to show deference to his boss in order to maintain a cordial relationship.
b. Switching communication techniques is a way for the assistant director to demonstrate to his boss that he is a capable employee.
c. Communicating regularly with his boss was important in order for the assistant director to maintain his job.
d. As an effective communicator, the assistant director needed to be aware of different communication styles and when it was appropriate to make changes.