Digest No. 06 - June 2019

Gamifying Gender Bias Recognition and Reporting

Cundiff, J. L., C. L. Danube, M. J. Zawadzki, and S. A. Shields. 2018. “Testing an Intervention for Recognizing and Reporting Subtle Gender Bias in Promotion and Tenure Decisions.” Journal of Higher Education 89 (5): 611–636.

SUMMARY

Under the premise that gender bias is ubiquitous within the academy, the authors developed an experiment to examine the effectiveness of an intervention designed to enable participants to recognize and report gender bias in promotion and tenure decisions. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions. In the first condition, participants experienced the intervention, the Workshop Activity for Gender Equity Simulation in the Academy (WAGES-Academic; Shields et al. 2011), a “gamelike simulation of subtle sexism in the academic workplace” (p. 618). In the second condition, participants received information on gender equity in the workplace but did not participate in the simulation. In the third condition, participants played a modified version of Chutes and Ladders. This part of the experimental design was intended to “be similar to WAGES in terms of engagement and the active-learning format but without information about subtle sexism” (p. 619). The study took place in two phases in order to assess the two outcomes: recognizing and reporting gender bias. Results from the study indicated that WAGES participants were statistically more likely to recognize and report gender bias.

DISCUSSION OF THE FINDINGS

Compared with participants in the control conditions (information only and Chutes and Ladders), WAGES participants were better at detecting gender bias in promotion and tenure materials. To reach these conclusions the authors conducted a two-phase study. The first phase invited WAGES participants to play a game designed to teach participants about gender bias situations within the context of the academy. The second phase asked participants to evaluate reviews of a simulated tenure and promotion case for inclusion of subtle (for example, “absences were presumably due to family obligations”) or blatant (for instance, “comparing her with male faculty [who] seldom prioritize family commitments over academic commitments”) gender-biased language. Across the various participant groups studied, it was clear that WAGES participants were statistically more likely to be able to detect gender bias in promotion and tenure materials.

WAGES participants also were better at reporting gender bias in promotion and tenure materials when compared to participants in the control conditions. To assess reporting, the authors asked participants to anonymously respond yes or no to the following statement: “I have concerns that this review was unfair and would like to officially report my concerns to the committee” (p. 622). Not only did the authors find that WAGES participants were more likely to report these concerns, but they also found that participants were statistically more likely to report blatant expressions of sexism, when compared with subtle or no forms of sexism.

IMPLICATIONS FOR ACTION BY CAMPUS LEADERS

Why is this relevant for CIC member institutions? First, the study is predicated on the assumption that gender bias occurs within academe and serves as a reminder that most practices—especially those considered high-stakes such as tenure and promotion—favor men. Too often, assumptions like these are acknowledged by leadership but not meaningfully addressed. The authors do an admirable job of taking this assumption and testing it via a well-designed experimental study that examines gender bias in both recognition and reporting.
Second, people who are taught about gender bias in the academy can apply this information to detect and report gender bias in reviews of tenure and promotion materials. According to the authors’ findings, the WAGES participants were able to extrapolate lessons learned about gender bias in the academy and apply them in the context of detecting and reporting reviewers’ gender biases in adjudicating a simulated tenure and promotion case.
Third, the intervention used in the study is a low-cost, “non-threatening way [that] may increase detection and reporting of gender bias in higher education institutions” (p. 611). Often, interventions designed to curb attitudes and behaviors related to racism, sexism, homophobia, and classism are quite costly, and thus rarely considered viable in resource-stretched environments. The Workshop Activity for Gender Equity Simulation in the Academy (WAGES-Academic; Shields et al. 2011) is not only a viable means for addressing gender equity issues in the academy, but potentially an enjoyable one. The WAGES game could be used as part of faculty orientation, not only as a way to deliver information about gender bias in the academy, but also as a vehicle to communicate the institution’s values. As an added bonus, it could be an ice-breaker for new faculty members.

About the Authors

Jessica L. Cundiff is an assistant professor, Department of Psychological Science, at the Missouri University of Science and Technology.

Cinnamon L. Danube is principal analyst, Institutional Research and Decision Support, at the University of California, Merced.

Matthew J. Zawadzki is assistant professor, Health Sciences and Research Institute, at the University of California, Merced.

Stephanie A. Shields is professor of psychology and women’s studies at Pennsylvania State University.

Literature Readers May Wish to Consult

O’Meara, K., A. Kuvaeva, G. Nyunt, R. Jackson, and C. Waugaman. 2017. “Asked More Often: Gender Differences in Faculty Workload in Research Universities and the Work Interactions That Shape Them.” American Educational Research Journal 54: 1154–1186.

Shields, S. A., M. J. Zawadzki, and R. N. Johnson. 2011. “The Impact of the Workshop Activity for Gender Equity Simulation in the Academy (WAGES-Academic) in Demonstrating Cumulative Effects of Gender Bias.” Journal of Diversity in Higher Education 4: 120–129.

Workshop Activity for Gender Equity Simulation (WAGES). College of the Liberal Arts, Penn State University.