Research on Bias
Bias can be explicit or subtle, and research demonstrates that it exists in many forms.
| Women researchers need to publish more articles in journals than men to be seen as equally competent.
(Wennerås, & Wold, 1997) |
Gendered language can negatively affect how attractive job descriptions are for prospective candidates.
(Gaucher, Friesen, & Kay, 2011; He & Kang 2022) |
| A study of hundreds of interactions (e.g. door holding, asking for directions) found that 5-25% of participants treated members of marginalized groups (racial, ethnic, or sexual orientation) more negatively than those in the advantaged group.
(Campbell & Brauer 2021) |
Job applicants with more Anglicized names had more favorable pre-interview impressions (initial reactions based on reading a resume & a senior personnel’s positive rating of the candidate) than other candidates.
(Watson, Appiah, & Thornton, 2011) |
Both the explicit and subtle forms of bias highlighted above make people feel less included in a group, especially for those who are underrepresented.
What is gender bias?
Research suggests that both men and women have equally negative stereotypes about the other gender.
For example, men might hold the stereotype that “all women are bad at math,” whereas women might hold the stereotype that “all men don’t talk about their feelings.”
Our example focuses on stereotypes about men and women, acknowledging that gender is not a binary and stereotypes about genderqueer / non-binary people also exist.
Gender bias occurs when stereotypes about gender come through in our interactions with others.
Gender bias in the workplace can look like:
- Making a demeaning joke about women in front of colleagues
- Asking a nonbinary co-worker to sit out of a key meeting with a client due to their gender
- Assuming a man is not interested in a role that involves providing emotional support
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