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Human Bias

This note collects evidence that supports the need for self-governance by all agents, including nonhuman beings. The evidence demonstrates that any dominant power, even when acting with good intentions, will inevitably introduce Bias and struggle to achieve fairness and justice, even when such outcomes align with its own interests. This issue is especially relevant in the Anthropocene, where human actions have significant impacts on the environment and other species.

Cf.

As related to nonhuman life:

  • speciesism: prioritising human interests over those of other species
  • anthropocentrism: viewing humans as the central or most significant entities
  • geographic bias: favouring certain regions (e.g., developed over remote)
  • taxonomic bias: focusing on specific taxonomic groups (e.g., vertebrates over invertebrates)
  • citation bias: preferentially citing already prominent studies, studies in certain disciplines or languages, or studies from certain regions or authors
  • size bias: favouring larger species over smaller ones
  • land over ocean bias: prioritising terrestrial ecosystems
  • charismatic species bias: focusing on aesthetically appealing or "charismatic" species
  • evolutionary bias: favouring species closer to humans in evolutionary terms
  • temperate over tropical bias: prioritising temperate ecosystems over tropical ones
  • plant blindness: overlooking the importance of plants in ecosystems
  • mineral or resource bias: prioritising human use of non-living resources over their intrinsic or ecological value
  • ecological bias: undervaluing the roles of less visible or less understood organisms
  • model bias: favouring certain models or frameworks for understanding ecological systems (e.g., experimental considerations bias the choice of model organisms, model organisms 'swamping out' other research and 'organismism', or over-reliance on model organisms without sufficient attention to whether they are adequate)
  • biomism, the pervasive prejudice, discrimination or antagonism against a given biome

More general but also relevant:

  • confirmation bias: prioritising information that supports existing beliefs or hypotheses
  • publication bias: emphasising positive or significant results while overlooking negative or inconclusive findings
  • funding bias: promoting research that aligns with the interests of funding sources
  • language bias: privileging studies published in particular languages
  • methodological bias: preferring specific research methods or approaches
  • disciplinary bias: giving precedence to certain scientific disciplines or fields of study
  • cultural bias: privileging particular cultural perspectives or values
  • historical bias: promoting specific historical narratives or interpretations
  • gender bias: favouring perspectives or outcomes associated with particular genders
  • institutional bias: prioritising research from specific institutions or organisations
  • novelty (or innovation) bias: favouring new or innovative ideas over established ones, cf. hype bias or trend bias
  • risk bias: prioritising research that addresses perceived risks or threats

Examples of Bias in Life Sciences

Preference for charismatic species

Colléony, Agathe, Susan Clayton, Denis Couvet, Michel Saint Jalme, and Anne-Caroline Prévot. ‘Human Preferences for Species Conservation: Animal Charisma Trumps Endangered Status’. Biological Conservation 206 (2017): 263–69. https://doi.org/10/f9wz8q.

But being charismatic does not help as humans end up thinking there are a lot of you.

Courchamp, Franck, Ivan Jaric, Céline Albert, Yves Meinard, William J. Ripple, and Guillaume Chapron. ‘The Paradoxical Extinction of the Most Charismatic Animals’. PLOS Biology 16, no. 4 (2018): e2003997. https://doi.org/10/gdbdmq.

Bellon, Alejandro M. ‘Does Animal Charisma Influence Conservation Funding for Vertebrate Species Under the US Endangered Species Act?’ Environmental Economics and Policy Studies 21, no. 3 (2019): 399–411. https://doi.org/10/gmqbqp.

Preference for larger body

Berti, Emilio, Sophie Monsarrat, Michael Munk, Scott Jarvie, and Jens-Christian Svenning. ‘Body Size Is a Good Proxy for Vertebrate Charisma’. Biological Conservation 251 (2020): 108790. https://doi.org/10/ghjjcd.

Preference for closer evolutionary relatives

Miralles, Aurélien, Michel Raymond, and Guillaume Lecointre. ‘Empathy and Compassion Toward Other Species Decrease with Evolutionary Divergence Time’. Scientific Reports 9, no. 1 (2019): 19555. https://doi.org/10/ggp7t9.

Thomas, Howard, Helen Ougham, and Dawn Sanders. ‘Plant Blindness and Sustainability’. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education 23, no. 1 (2021): 41–57. https://doi.org/10/gjq9ts.

In Europe, funding for conservation between 1992 and 2018 through LIFE projects was:

  • 150 million for invertebrates
  • 970 million for vertebrates

Mammola, Stefano, Nicoletta Riccardi, Vincent Prié, Ricardo Correia, Pedro Cardoso, Manuel Lopes-Lima, and Ronaldo Sousa. ‘Towards a Taxonomically Unbiased European Union Biodiversity Strategy for 2030’. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 287, no. 1940 (2020): 20202166. https://doi.org/10/gjfxkt.

This bias is contrary to the extinction risk: 26.3% of invertebrates are critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable vs 13.3% of vertebrates. (see IUCN Red List)

Preference to temperate over tropical

Culumber, Zachary W., Jaime M. Anaya-Rojas, William W. Booker, Alexandra P. Hooks, Elizabeth C. Lange, Benjamin Pluer, Natali Ramírez-Bullón, and Joseph Travis. “Widespread Biases in Ecological and Evolutionary Studies.” BioScience 69, no. 8 (2019): 631–40. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biz063.

Speciesism in Conservation

Hutchinson, Alison, Nathan Stephens-Griffin, and Tanya Wyatt. “Speciesism and the Wildlife Trade: Who Gets Listed, Downlisted and Uplisted in CITES?” International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy 11, no. 2 (2022): 191–209. https://doi.org/10/g9d7xb.

Model Bias

Cf. Margulis

Ankeny, Rachel A. Model Organisms. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2021.

References

Swartz, Brian, and Brent D. Mishler, eds. Speciesism in Biology and Culture: How Human Exceptionalism Is Pushing Planetary Boundaries. Cham: Springer, 2022.

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