Factors Influencing Women in the Science Professioriate

Implicit Bias Journal Club

The demand for scientists is increasing: Training scientists at the current rate will lead to a deficit of 1,000,000 workers in the next decade (President s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, 2012)

The demand for scientists is increasing: Training scientists at the current rate will lead to a deficit of 1,000,000 workers in the next decade (President s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, 2012) To address this gap, the report called For increased training and retention of women

The demand for scientists is increasing: Training scientists at the current rate will lead to a deficit of 1,000,000 workers in the next decade (President s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, 2012) To address this gap, the report called For increased training and retention of women What is causing the disproportionate rates of women at the professoriate level?

The demand for scientists is increasing: Training scientists at the current rate will lead to a deficit of 1,000,000 workers in the next decade (President s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, 2012) To address this gap, the report called For increased training and retention of women What is causing the disproportionate rates of women at the professoriate level? The proportion of science degrees granted to women has increased (Bell, 2010) Women have equal skills in math and science (Halpern et al. 2007) Gender Bias?

Implicit bias is unintentional prejudice shaped from repeated exposure to pervasive cultural stereotypes

Implicit bias is unintentional prejudice shaped from repeated exposure to pervasive cultural stereotypes Women as more warm and likeable Women as less competent

Implicit bias is unintentional prejudice shaped from repeated exposure to pervasive cultural stereotypes Women as more warm and likeable Women as less competent Everyone has bias! has bias! Everyone

Implicit bias is unintentional prejudice shaped from repeated exposure to pervasive cultural stereotypes Women as more warm and likeable Women as less competent Everyone has bias! has bias! Everyone How does gender bias affect women in science? Can Bias change?

How does gender bias affect women in science? Science faculty s subtle gender biases favor male students - Moss-Racusin et al. 2012 Can Bias change? Seeing is believing: Exposure to counterstereotypic women leaders and its effect on the malleability of automatic gender stereotyping - Dasgupta & Asgari 2004

Science facultys subtle gender biases favor male students - Moss-Racusin et al. 2012 Questions: Does gender bias exist within academic biological/physical sciences? Does gender bias influence the gender disparity in later career stages? Hypotheses: A) Science faculty s perceptions and treatment of students would reveal a gender bias favoring male students in perceptions of competence and hireability, salary conferral, and willingness to mentor B) Faculty gender would not influence this gender bias C) Hiring discrimination would be mediated by perceptions that females are less competent. D) Pre-existing biases against women negatively impact female applicants, no impact on male applicants

Experimental Overview Who? What? How? 127 tenure-track Bio/Chem/Physics faculty Rate a student s lab manager application Rate variables from 1-7 Demographics representative of nat. averages (74% male, 81% white) Examine differences in male vs. female perceived competence John vs. Jennifer Competence, hireability, salary conferral, willingness to mentor Relate prior implicit biases to female competence

Results Competence, hireability, and mentoring by student gender condition Female students were ranked lower in competence, hireability, and willingness to mentor Faculty Rating Faculty gender did not affect outcome

Salary conferral by student gender condition Faculty offered lower salaries to female students Salary Though resumes were identical, female students are less valued for their work than male students

Can Bias change? Seeing is believing: Exposure to counterstereotypic women leaders and its effect on the malleability of automatic gender stereotyping - Dasgupta & Asgari 2004 Question: Does exposure to women in leadership positions undermine gender stereotypic beliefs? Predictions: A) Women at single-sex college express less automatic gender stereotypes than peers in coeducational college B) Heavy course load in math and science will strengthen gender stereotypes in female students in coed college but not in the women s college.

Experimental Overview Who? What? How? 41 female students at a co-ed college Completed IAT (implicit association test) and campus experience questionnaire Correlations between Type of College, Year in College, and IAT scores examined 41 female students at a women s college Tested interaction between Type of College, Proportion of STEM courses taken and IAT scores IAT score = (counterstereotypic RT) - (stereotypic RT) Surveyed at beginning of 1st year and 1 year later beginning 2nd year IAT = more stereotypic beliefs

Bias can change! Exposure to majority male faculty reinforced negative gender stereotypes Exposure to female faculty reduced implicit bias about females being leaders

At the coeducational college, taking more math and science courses substantially increased gender bias There was no difference in bias at the women s college

Conclusions Gender bias is pervasive.

Conclusions Gender bias is pervasive. How does it impact women?

Conclusions Gender bias is pervasive. How can we change this?

Conclusions Gender bias is pervasive. How can we change this? Exposure to counterstereotypes reduces implicit bias.

Conclusions Gender bias is pervasive. How can we change this? Exposure to counterstereotypes reduces implicit bias. Be aware of your own biases, consider taking the IAT

Conclusions Gender bias is pervasive. Your TuRn! How can we change this? Exposure to counterstereotypes reduces implicit bias. Be aware of your own biases, consider taking the IAT

Thank you!