Gender Bias in Science: What’s in a Name?

Male and female faculty members show distinct gender bias when they assess applications from male and female students, a new study from Yale University has shown. This is an important (if depressing) study, carefully carried out and clearly reported. But how exactly did the researchers choose the names of their ‘applicants’, Jennifer and John? I’m still trying to find out.

There has been much online discussion of the new study from Yale entitled ‘Science faculty’s subtle gender biases favour male students’. The paper can be read here (open access – I’m happy to say): http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2012/09/14/1211286109.full.pdf

Updated 1 Oct 2012, see end of post.

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My Garden Pond

I’m Ruth Dixon and this is my blog about my garden and other interests… this blog may go in any one of several directions. We’ll see what (if anything) people find interesting.

I work (part-time) at the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Oxford on how the civil service and central government has changed over the past 30 years or so. See http://xgov.politics.ox.ac.uk.  Some things from my work there may come into my blog.