Section 2: Unconscious bias
Gender Equality in STEM
Gender equality in STEM
Section 2: Unconscious bias
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Gender Equality in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) has been developed by Equality Challenge Unit in partnership with Opening Educational Practices in Scotland
Contents
- Introduction
- 2.1 Background
- 2.2 Introduction to unconscious bias – basic concepts
- 2.3 Unconscious Processes
- 2.4 Daniel Kahneman and ‘thinking fast and slow’
- 2.5 Example: how do unconscious biases and gender affect science? Examining the Moss-Racusin study
- 2.6 What does this mean for classrooms and in schools?
- 2.7 Understanding different types of unconscious bias
- 2.8 Aspects of unconscious bias: confirmation bias
- 2.9 Aspects of unconscious bias: stereotype threat
- 2.10 What can we do about it?
- 2.11 Teacher discussion and classroom facilitation
- 2.12 Group session – discussing the experience of teaching gender equality and exploring unconscious bias
- 2.13 Group session – action planning
In this section we will look at:
- What is unconscious bias?
- Gender bias in science – how can it be explained?
- Impact of unconscious bias – how does it impact pupils experiences and subject choices?
- Confirmation bias and stereotype threat
- Unconscious bias and what we can do about it
Learning outcomes for section 2
By the end of this section you will:
- Understand the concept of unconscious bias
- Explore how unconscious bias and gender inequality influences teaching in relation to STEM, as well as pupil choices and experiences
- Have increased confidence in delivering gender equality and unconscious bias materials in classroom, including facilitating pupil conversations and learning in relation to subject choices and school experience
2.1 Background
In the previous section, you explored the structural nature and harm of gender inequality and stereotyping, as well as the causes of female underrepresentation in STEM. You also had a chance to reflect on your own practice and classroom experience in relation to these ideas.
One of the concepts mentioned in the first section was unconscious bias:
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“Casual reliance on stereotypes leads to unconscious bias in all areas of girls’ lives. If this is left unchallenged, girls and young women find their cultural straightjackets tightened and they are less likely to say ‘YES’ to STEM. Stereotypes and unconscious bias undermine real choice. We must start to take them seriously.
…the need to challenge pervasive unconscious biases and stereotypes is largely only ever given lip service – if that. Undermining cultural messages and social norms represent invisible roadblocks to the success of girls and women. Such barriers are invisible precisely because they are so deeply embedded.”
(Sciencegrrl, The case for a gender lens in STEM)
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But what does ‘unconscious bias’ mean, and what can we do about it?
This section is about exploring the way the brain processes information and makes shortcuts in doing so. We need to devise strategies to interrupt that processing and to prevent it having a negative impact on our behaviour and our decisions. This relates to our behaviour and decisions in every part of our lives, both inside and outside of the classroom.
We are going to:
- Explore the brain’s processing short cuts.
- Become more aware of how that processing impacts on our behaviour and decision making in a school and classroom environment, for both pupils and teachers.
- And increase our awareness of strategies to manage those short cuts.
2.2 Introduction to unconscious bias – basic concepts
Definition:
Unconscious bias is a term used to describe the associations that we hold, which, despite being outside our conscious awareness, can have a significant influence on our attitudes and behaviour. Regardless of how fair minded we believe ourselves to be, most people have some degree of unconscious bias. This means that we automatically respond to others (e.g. men and women, people from different racial or ethnic groups) in different ways. These associations are difficult to override, regardless of whether we recognise them to be wrong, because they are deeply ingrained into our thinking and emotions. Unconscious bias refers to a bias that we are unaware of and which happens outside of our control. It is a bias that happens automatically and is triggered by our brain making quick judgments and assessments of people and situations, influenced by our background, cultural environment and personal experiences.
Not all bias is unconscious. Unconscious bias is defined as different from intentional or conscious bias, such as racism, sexism or homophobia. One of the key aspects of unconscious bias is that these biases can and often do run counter or opposite to the stated values of an individual. In this way, unconscious bias can help explain how people who value and support gender equality can still be involved in biased decisions or actions.
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Artificial intelligence, Creative Commons Zero 1.0 Public Domain License
View description - Artificial intelligence, Creative Commons Zero 1.0 Public Domain ...
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2.3 Unconscious Processes
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Iceberg, pixabay.com, Licensed as CCO
View description - Iceberg, pixabay.com, Licensed as CCO
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Our unconscious biases are particularly powerful because they operate below the level of our conscious minds.
Sigmund Freud knew that the unconscious was far vaster and more powerful than the conscious. He described it as an iceberg: far more under the surface than above. Eric Kandel, a neuroscientist at Columbia University who received a Nobel Prize for his work on memory, was once pressed to say how much of the mind works unconsciously; he gave an estimate of 80 to 90%. The specific percentage is probably not important. The point is that experts agree about how powerful our unconscious minds are, and how influential they can be unless we take steps to develop the necessary skill to mitigate their impact.
The individual unconscious
So how does unconscious bias work for us as individuals?
Unconscious bias is not the preserve of the few - virtually every one of us is biased towards something, somebody, or some group.
Howard Ross, the Founder and Chief Learning Officer of Cook Ross, a leading US consultancy working in this area, said “our fundamental way of looking at and encountering the world is driven by a hard-wired’ pattern of making unconscious decisions about others based on what feels safe, likeable, valuable and competent” (Ross, 2008)
Ross makes a useful point that our unconscious biases have evolved as a way of distinguishing friend from foe and of keeping ourselves safe from danger. They have in the past been useful to us, in dangerous situations they may continue to be, but how relevant or appropriate are they in a classroom or school environment?
Our unconscious thoughts and interpretations happen much quicker than our conscious ones. Typically they take place below the level of consciousness, about 250 milliseconds before our conscious processes engage.
When we meet someone the information available to us is cognitively overwhelming and we can’t process it fast enough, so instead we routinely and rapidly sort people into groups based on stereotypes, the cultural environment around us and our personal experiences, rather than think of them as unique. This allows us to save time and effort and to give our attention to other tasks or to more novel information.
Think about how quickly you make a decision about who to sit next to on the bus or share a table with in a café or cross the road to avoid. Are you even aware that you are making a decision?
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Activity 1
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Can you make a list of characteristics which might elicit an unconscious response?
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Provide your answer...
View discussion - Activity 1
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Categorising people in this way can guide our actions towards others on the unconscious assumption that the individual possesses traits included in the stereotype associated with the group we put them in. Clearly this has implications for the accuracy and fairness of our decision making.
In your learning log, write down a short summary of what you understand unconscious bias to be, then consider and note how an unconscious response might influence your views or actions in a school or classroom environment.
2.4 Daniel Kahneman and ‘thinking fast and slow’
Daniel Kahneman is a Nobel Prize winning psychologist who has undertaken extensive research on human judgement and decision making.
Kahneman makes a distinction between effortless intuition and deliberate reasoning. He has found that what he calls our "System 1"—our automatic, intuitive mind—usually lets us navigate the world easily and successfully. But, when unchecked by "System 2"—our controlled, deliberative, analytical mind—System 1 also leads us to make regular, predictable errors in judgment.
System 1 is in charge of almost everything we do. Most of everything we do is skilled, and skilled activities are largely carried out effortlessly and automatically. That even includes routine conversation; it's very low effort. System 2 is slow and clunky but capable of performing complicated actions that System 1 cannot carry out.
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Activity 2
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Please answer the following questions in the box below::
2 + 2 =
17 x 24 =
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2 + 2 =
17 x 24 =
View answer - Activity 2
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When I ask you 2 plus 2, for most people a number comes to mind. That is System 1 working. You didn't have to compute it, you didn't have to do anything deliberate, it just popped out of your associative memory.
However, if I ask 17 times 24, for most people no number comes to mind—you'd have to compute it (408). And if you computed it, you'd be investing effort. Your pupils would get larger, your heart rate would accelerate, and you'd be working. That's System 2.
System 1 is useful because it is quick, often effortless and helps us to make sense and navigate a rapidly changing environment. But, System 1 can sometimes lead us astray when it's unchecked by System 2.
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Activity 3
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Try and answer the following question as quickly as possible:
A bat and a ball cost £1.10 in total. The bat costs £1 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?
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View answer - Activity 3
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The problem, Kahneman says, is that System 1 is a storyteller. It tells the best stories that it can from the information available, even when the information is sparse or unreliable. We use the information we have as if it is the only information. We don't spend much time saying, "Well, there is much we don't know." We make do with what we do know. So if what we know is based on stereotypes, the views of our parents, authority figures and peers, then that is what our system one will use. System one is where our unconscious biases reside.
We can use system 2 to help us to control system 1 and so to avoid behaving in a way that is in accordance with unconscious bias. But because System 2 takes effort, it is capable of being distracted by other demands. So if we are stressed or anxious, it is more difficult to access System 2.
(Kahneman, 2003)
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Activity 4:
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Assign the following words to either system 1 or system 2 thinking:
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Word: / System 1 / System 2Automatic
Slow
Low effort
Default process
High effort / Provide your answer...
Inhibitory
Implicit
Explicit
Controlled
Small capacity
Large capacity
Rapid
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View answer - Activity 4:
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What might this mean for us in relation to STEM and gender? Note down your thoughts in your learning log.
2.5 Example: how do unconscious biases and gender affect science? Examining the Moss-Racusin study
Moss-Racusin et al (2012) had staff in science faculties in US colleges rate the application of a student for a position as a laboratory manager.
The same application was used 127 times and randomly assigned either a female (64 times) or a male (63 times) name.
The staff selectors rated male applicants as significantly more hireable than female applicants. They also chose a higher starting salary and offered more career mentoring to male applicants. The gender of the staff selector did not affect responses – both male and female staff exhibited the same bias towards men and against women.
(Moss-Racusin et al, 2012)
There are two possible explanations for the result found in the Moss-Racusin study.
Either: staff in science faculties have been consciously biased and deliberately chose male candidates because they wanted and preferred men.
Or: staff in science faculties have been biased, but they were unaware they were doing it.
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Activity 5
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Why do you think the participants (including female staff) in the Moss-Racusin study discriminated against female applicants? How might this relate to participation in STEM subjects in schools?
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View answer - Activity 5
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How does this relate to gender stereotyping of toys or the way we talk about science in the classroom? Note down your thoughts in your Learning log.
2.6 What does this mean for classrooms and in schools?
Unconscious bias in schools can lead to differences in achievement, progression and subject choices for male versus female pupils.
As we showed in session 1, stereotypes about female inferiority in mathematics and other STEM subjects are prominent across society and unsurprisingly can lead to unconscious bias among children and adolescents, parents and teachers. International literature and research demonstrates this universal aspect of human nature. Lindberg (2010) reviews the relevant research in this area in relation to maths:
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Parents believe that their sons' mathematical ability is higher than their daughters'. In one study, fathers estimated their sons' mathematical “IQ” at 110 on average, and their daughters' at 98; mothers estimated 110 for sons and 104 for daughters (Furnham et al., 2002; see also Frome & Eccles, 1998). Teachers, too, tend to stereotype mathematics as a male domain. In particular, they overrate boys' ability relative to girls' (Li, 1999; but see Helwig, Anderson, & Tindal, 2001).
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Lavy and Sand (2015) found that teachers systematically overstate the math and science ability of boys. This leads to poorer test scores for girls, lower progression and completion of advanced maths and science subjects (and vice versa for boys). The teachers (mostly themselves female) did not think they were biased and the effect was larger for girls from lower socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds. A different study, Antecol et al (2012), has found the most ‘biased’ teachers were females without maths backgrounds. Other research shows that highly visible students in school classrooms tend to be male, white and from higher socioeconomic status backgrounds. This applies to those students that make themselves more visible via consistent active participation, as well as those that teachers actively call on and regularly select and therefore make more visible themselves. This can apply to science classrooms, as well as non-science classrooms.
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Case study: Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School recently developed a ‘Gender Initiative’ to improve outcomes and experiences for female students.
Investigations had found gender discrimination in the Business School’s classrooms, sexism prevalent in the school environment and sizeable achievement and satisfaction gaps between female and male students.
One of the main areas of focus in the Gender Initiative was the learning space - the classroom environment, curriculum and interactions with teaching staff. The curriculum didn’t reflect female experiences in business or foster a sense of belonging among female students. Only 1 in 10 of the case studies produced and used in the Business School featured a female lead role (case studies are one of the main forms of instruction in business schools). Additionally, while class participation is a large component of final grades, teaching was conducted informally and performance assessed after classes, based on the memory of staff. This allows for unconscious bias in who teachers call on, which students actively participate in discussions, and which interactions are remembered and emphasised by staff afterwards.
Harvard Business School has been able to take effective action and improve outcomes by making relatively simple changes, such as increasing the presence of female characters in case studies and using notetakers in classrooms to record and quantify participation.
(Source:
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Consider in your learning log in what ways might unconscious bias have an impact on gender equality in your school and classroom?
2.7 Understanding different types of unconscious bias
Aspects of unconscious bias
We’re going to look now at common ways in which specific types of unconscious bias can influence our behaviour. As you can see, there are a range of different biases that have an influence on our behaviour. Common biases, which will apply to just about everyone in some way, include:
Affinity bias: or ‘in-group bias’ means being biased towards people who make us comfortable or people who we think are like us. The opposite effect is ‘out-group bias’.
Bandwagon effect: is a bias that appears because we often make decisions primarily because other people do, regardless of our own beliefs, which we may ignore or override.
Confirmation bias: we have a natural tendency to be selective in the evidence we listen to and the evidence we disregard, as well as how we interpret evidence, based on stereotypes and our previous opinions and experience.
Salience bias: is our tendency to use the most easily available information or traits when we make a judgment about a person or a situation.