“Justly and Without Bias”

Abstract

This paper investigates the possibility that one purpose of consultation is the mitigation of cognitive biases in individual participantsand in the group as a whole. After exploring the nature of cognitive biases through the lens of evolutionary psychology, the paper surveys existing research on effective methods of “debiasing” individuals. This research suggests that the most effective environment for mitigating bias is a deliberative group, in which individual participants may be asked to justify their reasoning in a social environment of diverse perspectives. Bias mitigation diminishes over time, requiring repeated exposure to the debiasing environment. This model for debiasing strongly resonates with Bahá’í consultation, a conclusion that can enrich Assemblies’ and other consultinggroups’ perspectives on, and expectations of, consultation.