The Cognitive Bias Podcast The Neuroscience of Bias with Due Quach
Oct 15, 2019
Due Quach, founder and CEO of CalmClarity who uses neuroscience and mindfulness to tackle unconscious bias and trauma. She explains three brain modes (amygdala, reward, prefrontal) and how they shape bias. Hear practical practices like breathwork, metta meditation, and metacognition to shift from scarcity and reactivity to resilient, inclusive leadership.
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Dominant Group Reward States Reinforce Systemic Bias
- Dominant groups often live in Brain 2.0 reward states, which makes systems favor them and push marginalized groups into Brain 1.0 threat states.
- This dynamic creates a perceived zero-sum game where privilege feels like earned right and redistribution triggers threat.
Brain 3.0 Enables Systems Level Reframing
- Brain 3.0 reframes scarcity beliefs into systems-thinking: you can change the rules rather than accept rigged games.
- That shift allows leaders to design non-zero-sum solutions and see collective opportunity instead of individual loss.
Practice Noticing Which Brain Mode You Are In
- Build metacognitive capacity to recognize when you're in Brain 1.0, Brain 2.0, or Brain 3.0 so you can choose actions aligned with values.
- Use bodily feedback (racing heart, brain fog, restless enthusiasm) as signals that you're not in Brain 3.0.
