Science faculty’s subtle gender biases favor male students:

Science faculty’s subtle gender biases favor male students

1. Corinne A. Moss-Racusin^a,^b, 
2. John F. Dovidio^b, 
3. Victoria L. Brescoll^c,
4. Mark J. Graham^a,^d, and 
5. Jo Handelsman^a,¹

+Author Affiliations

1. ^aDepartment of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology,
2. ^bDepartment of Psychology,
3. ^cSchool of Management, and
4. ^dDepartment of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520

1. Edited* by Shirley Tilghman, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, and approved August 21, 2012 (received for review July 2, 2012)

Abstract

Despite efforts to recruit and retain more women, a stark gender disparity persists within academic science. Abundant research has demonstrated gender bias in many demographic groups, but has yet to experimentally investigate whether science faculty exhibit a bias against female students that could contribute to the gender disparity in academic science. In a randomized double-blind study (n = 127), science faculty from research-intensive universities rated the application materials of a student—who was randomly assigned either a male or female name—for a laboratory manager position. Faculty participants rated the male applicant as significantly more competent and hireable than the (identical) female applicant. These participants also selected a higher starting salary and