1. UNCONSCIOUS BIAS IN STEM
Geneseo Reaching Out to Women and underrepresented groups in STEM
Weds Oct 17 Newton 204, 5:30 PM

6. Why underrepresentation in STEM?
Hypothesis 1: Different life choices
Different early exposure / socialization develops interest (nurture)
Different natural interests
Hypothesis 2: Different levels of success on pathway
Different early opportunities / readiness to pursue STEM (nurture)
Different natural abilities
Hypothesis 3: Bias
Overt discrimination (individuals actively choosing to favor one group or another)
Covert discrimination (stereotypes impact individuals’ choices unconsciously)

8. Email to Profs from students of different race or gender requesting a meeting about Grad School
Name of student differed
Timing of meeting also differed
Letter sent to 1 or 2 faculty members from each of 6,300 doctoral programs in the USA (all fields)

9. Profs reply to an email from a student more often if the student is a white male

10. Fields varied in how much they responded to Caucasian males vs. others

11. Other factors…
Profs in higher paid fields were more likely to favor white males
Profs from private schools were more likely to favor Caucasian males
Faculty identity usually didn’t matter

12. Other interesting studies
Science Faculty’s subtle bias favors male students (Student applicants to a technicians’ job were offered higher salaries)
Males Under-Estimate Academic Performance of Their Female Peers in Undergraduate Biology Classrooms (males likely to be considered highly performing by other students even when they are not)
Quality of evidence revealing subtle gender biases in science is in the eye of the beholder (males were more likely to see research on gender bias as scientifically flawed)
Gender-heterogeneous working groups produce higher quality science (study of productivity of scientific research teams)
Racially diverse companies are more productive

13. Students aren’t immune either…
A male and a female faculty member led an online discussion based course
For two of the sections they used their real name
For two of the sections they used an opposite- gender name
Did student evaluations change depend on the actual or perceived gender of the professor?
(Person A)
(Person B)
(Person B)
(Person A)
Link to paper

14. Using the Implicit Association Test (IAT) to measure Unconscious Bias
Data from the Race Implicit Association Test on the Project Implicit website
cit-association-test/ (google aauw IAT and LET’S TAKE THE TEST!
Post your results here: ZFBQ2
More information about the IAT (and more tests)

15. How do we fix it? First step – Recognize that bias exists
Certain types of training can mediate bias
Asking people to spend an equal amount of time evaluating positives and negatives of each candidate
Asking people to only use specific remembered events rather than general feelings during evaluation
Unconscious bias is more likely to be a problem when…
We are in a hurry
We “go with our gut”