Direct answer
What does implicit bias mean?
Implicit bias is an attitude or association that affects a person's judgment without the person being aware of it.
Exam cue: Exam scenarios may show unequal service, assumptions or shortcuts even without an openly discriminatory statement.
What does it look like in a question?
Example
A licensee uses the same needs questions and listing process for every customer to reduce subjective assumptions.
Common exam trap
What should you not confuse it with?
A lack of conscious intent does not make unequal treatment harmless or lawful.
Related fair housing terms
Assistance animalAn assistance animal is an animal that works, provides assistance or performs tasks, or provides disability-related emotional support under applicable housing rules.BlockbustingBlockbusting is inducing or attempting to induce a sale or rental by suggesting that protected-class entry or change will cause harmful neighborhood effects.Disparate treatmentDisparate treatment is treating a person differently from others because of a protected characteristic.Fair housing testingFair housing testing is a method of comparing housing experiences using people with matched profiles to identify possible discrimination.Familial statusFamilial status is a protected class under federal and New York law covering households with a child under 18, pregnant persons and people gaining custody of a child.Lawful source of incomeLawful source of income is a New York protected characteristic covering lawful income used to pay for housing, including specified public and private sources.
Sources used3 references with section locators
The curriculum citation confirms exam scope. Definition and rule citations support the explanation itself.
- Real Estate Salesperson 77-Hour CurriculumNew York State Department of StateSupports: Exam scopeSection: Subject 9, Human Rights and Fair Housing
- A Basic Guide to Fair Housing Under the New York State Human Rights LawNew York State Division of Human RightsSupports: New York ruleSection: Protected characteristics and prohibited housing practices
- Fair Housing Act OverviewU.S. Department of Housing and Urban DevelopmentSupports: Federal ruleSection: Federal Fair Housing Act overview
Keep learning
Put the term back into its full subject.
A definition helps with recall. The subject guide shows how the rule interacts with documents, scenarios, calculations and practice questions.