Examining the effectiveness of brief interventions to strengthen a positive implicit relation between women and STEM acr
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Examining the effectiveness of brief interventions to strengthen a positive implicit relation between women and STEM across two timepoints Lynn Farrell1,2 · Finiki Nearchou1 · Louise McHugh1 Received: 19 June 2019 / Accepted: 27 June 2020 © The Author(s) 2020
Abstract The current study assessed the impact of three brief interventions aimed at influencing implicit gender bias in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields. The reduction of this bias is a key consideration as it remains a major barrier to gender equality in STEM. The interventions (psychoeducation, exposure to positive counter-stereotypical exemplars and perspective-taking) were compared to a control group at two timepoints. Gender-STEM bias was assessed at the implicit level (via the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure; IRAP) and the explicit level (via rating scales). Two hundred and ten adults (58.1% women) completed one of the four study conditions. Results indicated that implicit gender-STEM bias is malleable, at least in the short term. At Time 1, intervention groups showed higher levels of implicit pro-Women-STEM bias and lower levels of pro-Men-STEM bias than the Control group. Psychoeducation appeared most effective, followed by exposure to positive counter-stereotypical exemplars. Results from Time 2 presented a more complex picture of implicit bias change, as the control group exhibited an increased pro-Women-STEM bias that was unexpected. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to refining the interventions, the malleability of gender-STEM bias and the measurement of implicit bias across contexts. Keywords Implicit bias · Implicit relational assessment procedure · Gender bias · STEM · Intervention
Dr Lynn Farrell: This research was conducted by the first author as part of her doctoral studies. * Lynn Farrell [email protected] Extended author information available on the last page of the article
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1 Introduction The underrepresentation of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields continues to be a global concern (Sánchez de Madariaga et al. 2012; Schwab et al. 2016; UNESCO 2017). Research has identified gender stereotypes along with gender bias (often implicit) to be one of the main barriers for women in STEM (National Academy of Sciences 2006; see Carnes et al. 2012; Master and Meltzoff 2016; Sánchez de Madariaga et al. 2012). Implicit bias associating men with STEM and women with the Arts has been found across at least 66 nations (Miller et al. 2015). Master and Meltzoff (2016) suggest that two main gendered stereotypes are involved in men-STEM bias: (a) the belief that men are a better ‘fit’ for STEM subjects, with scientists often perceived as more similar to Western masculine stereotypes (e.g., Carli et al. 2016; Carnes et al. 2015; Gatta and Trigg 2001; Kaatz and Carnes 2014), and (b) the belief that men have more ‘ability’ for STEM subjects than women, with more potential for achievement in these fields (e.g., Gatta a
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