Occupational Therapy Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Document Type

Dissertation - NSU Access Only

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Occupational Therapy

Copyright Statement

All rights reserved. This publication is intended for use solely by faculty, students, and staff of Nova Southeastern University. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, now known or later developed, including but not limited to photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author or the publisher.

First Advisor

Sarah Mbiza

Date of original Performance / Presentation

January 2025

Publication Date / Copyright Date

1-1-2025

Abstract

Implicit bias is unconscious thoughts that we have regarding an individual or group that may be different from ourselves, including race, gender, socioeconomic status, and culture Within the field of occupational therapy, there is no research that examines the implicit bias of fieldwork educators and how cultural humility is utilized within practice. The primary investigator utilized a hermeneutic phenomenology approach to understand this phenomenon by conducting interviews, which included semi-structured questions in responding to vignettes provided. Saturation was met after the completion of 10 interviews. Analysis of the data indicated that while occupational therapy practitioners demonstrate client-centered practice and the occupational therapy process while working with patients, there are indications of implicit bias among occupational therapy practitioners. Occupational therapy practitioners have little to no knowledge regarding the concept of implicit bias, however, are able to self-reflect on responses to situations provided. Additional research is needed to explore the phenomenon further.

Disciplines

Occupational Therapy

Keywords

fieldwork education; fieldwork educator; implicit bias; occupational therapy; occupational therapy practitioner

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