Text Bias Worksheet
Order Instructions:
Read the sample test questions below.
Analyze each question for the presence of bias.
Describe your findings and analyze each item.
Include answers to the following questions in your analysis and description:
• What makes the test question biased or unbiased?
• Which audience might be offended?
• How could you modify the biased questions?
Test Question Samples:
1. To approximate a sphere’s circumference, what instruments of measure would you employ?
2. Write an essay about the differences between living in Aspen, Colorado and Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
3. Describe an invention created by a man you would nominate as “Man of the Year.”
4. Design a campaign poster for a strong candidate for student body president, showing that he can help promote the school.
5. Create a rap about your “hood.”
6. What is the main source of income on the reservation? How did the white man influence this trend?
SAMPLE ANSWER
Text Bias Worksheet
Biasness can be referred to the leaning of temperament outlook that is a person can make an unreasoned judgment or become prejudiced (Bias, 2013). Biased questions can be referred to as a question that is constructed in such a way that when one answers he or she will favor a particular response than others (Sica, 2005). Such questions are prejudiced and tend to mislead the person who is asked.
The first test question, “To approximate a sphere’s circumference, what instruments of measure will your employ?” is biased. This is because the wordings used to phrase the question that is “Instruments measure and employ” can confuse a student in high school level. However for people in higher level of learning can answer this question reasonably. There is no particular individual who can be offended by this question (Aims, 2015). The question can be rephrased and written as follows “To approximate a sphere’s circumference, what will you use to take the measurements”
The second question “Write an essay about the differences between living in Aspen, Colorado and Cape Cod, Massachusetts.” Is also biased. This question is biased to individuals who have not lived in both places at different times. Although, since the objective of the question is to get opinions what will count is a person’s experiences who had lived in both Aspen and Cape Cod at different times. There is no specific audience that can be offended by this question, though it will bring a feeling of vagueness and confusion to the audience. The question can be rephrased and written as “Write an essay on environmental and geographical differences between Aspen, Colorado and Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and how it influence those living in this two neighborhood ”(Aims, 2015).
However the question “Describe an invention created by a man you would nominate as “Man of the Year” is biased. In that the word “man” used discriminates women. The phrase “man of the Year” and also “created by a man” is prejudiced and can offend women who will be answering this question. The question can be rephrased and written as follows “Describe an invention created by someone you would nominate as “Distinguished individual of the year””.
The test question “Design a campaign poster for a strong candidate for a student body president, showing that he can help promote the school” is biased also. Realistically, the word “he” used to create the sentence is biased against candidates who are female. People who can be offended by this question are the female candidates and their supporters. The question can be rephrased and written as follows “Design a campaign poster for a strong candidate for student body president, showing how they can help promote the school” (Aims, 2015)
The question “Create a rap about your “Hood”” Is biased also. In this question the word “Rap” is biased against individuals who do not support rap. The word “hood” is also biased against a person who does not like to refer to his neighborhood as a hood. It is also biased against a person who doesn’t have a home. The question also makes an assumption that the person asked the question knows what “hood” means. Hood as two meaning, that is, a covering for the head found in jackets and other tops. On the other hand, Hood can also mean a place where one lives bringing biases. Therefore, to ensure that the question is not biased it can be rewritten as follows. “Compose a song about your “neighborhood”.
The final tests question “What is the main source of income on the reservation? How did the white man influence this trend?” is also biased and offensive. The phrase “the reservation” biases respondent’s answers according to their experiences with Native Americans. On the same note, the phrase “the white man” biases the question according to respondents’ previous incidents with white people, men in particular. The question is also vague, it does not expound on “reservation” and the term “trend”. It leaves the respondents with an answered question; at what point in time? Which reservation does it refer to? What trend? This indicates biasness in the question.
The question tends to offend people with prior experience with both European and Native Americans. It also offend Native Americans and as well as the Europeans.
The question can be rephrased and written as: “What is the main sours of income on (place A) reservation at (period B in history)? What influences let to this understanding?
References
AMS. (2015)Assessment-wiki – 08 Test Bias Worksheet. (n.d.). Retrieved o from http://ams-assessment-wiki.wikispaces.com/08+Test+Bias+Worksheet
Bias. (2013). merriam-webster.com. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bias.
Sica, G.T., MD, MPH. (2005). Bias in Research Studies. Boston, MA: Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates. Retrieved from http://radiology.rsna.org/content/238/3/780.full.
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