Browsing by Subject "Bias"

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

An abundance of research in the social sciences has demonstrated a persistent bias against nonnative English speakers (Giles & Billings, 2004; Gluszek & Dovidio, 2010). Yet, organizational scholars have only begun to investigate the underlying mechanisms that drive the bias against nonnative speakers and subsequently design interventions to mitigate these biases. In this dissertation, I offer an integrative model to organize past explanations for accent-based bias into a coherent framework, and posit that nonnative accents elicit social perceptions that have implications at the personal, relational, and group level. I also seek to complement the existing emphasis on main effects of accents, which focuses on the general tendency to discriminate against those with accents, by examining moderators that shed light on the conditions under which accent-based bias is most likely to occur. Specifically, I explore the idea that people’s beliefs about the controllability of accents can moderate their evaluations toward nonnative speakers, such that those who believe that accents can be controlled are more likely to demonstrate a bias against nonnative speakers. I empirically test my theoretical model in three studies in the context of entrepreneurial funding decisions. Results generally supported the proposed model. By examining the micro foundations of accent-based bias, the ideas explored in this dissertation set the stage for future research in an increasingly multilingual world.

This dissertation consists of three essays on the topic of education policy. In the first essay, I evaluate the impacts of a teacher quality equity law that was enacted in California in the fall of 2006 prohibiting superintendents from transferring a teacher into a school in the bottom three performance deciles of the state's academic performance index if the principal refuses the transfer. The primary mechanism through which the policy should affect student outcomes is through the mix of the quality of teachers in the school. Using publicly available statewide administrative education data, and two quasi-experimental methodologies, I assess whether the policy had an effect on the district-wide distribution of teachers with varying levels of experience, education and licensure and on student academic performance. I extend the analysis by examining whether the policy has differential effects on subgroups of schools classified as having high-poverty or high-minority student populations. I find that, as a result of the teacher quality equity law, low-performing schools experienced a relative increase in fully-credentialed teachers and more highly educated teachers, but that did not necessarily translate to an increase in academic performance. I also find evidence that the dimension along which the policy was most effective was in improving teacher pre-service qualifications in schools with high minority student populations.

In the second essay, I estimate racial, ethnic, gender and socioeconomic differences in teacher reports of student absenteeism and tardiness while controlling for administrative records of actual absences. Subjective perceptions that teachers form about students' classroom behaviors matter for student academic outcomes. Given this potential impact, it is important to identify any biases in these perceptions that would disadvantage subgroups of students. I use longitudinal data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 in conjunction with longitudinal, student-level data from the North Carolina Education Data Research Center to employ a variation of a two sample instrumental variables approach in which I instrument for actual eighth grade absences with simulated measures of eight grade absences. I find consistent evidence that teacher reports of the attendance of poor students are negatively biased and that math teacher reports of male attendance are positively biased. There is mixed evidence with regard to student race and ethnicity.

The third essay is a co-authored work in which we employ a quasi-experimental estimation strategy to examine the effects of state-level job losses on fourth- and eighth-grade test scores, using federal Mass Layoff Statistics and 1996-2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress data. Results indicate that job losses decrease scores. Effects are larger for eighth than fourth graders and for math than reading assessments, and are robust to specification checks. Job losses to 1 percent of a state's working-age population lead to a .076 standard deviation decrease in the state's eighth-grade math scores. This result is an order of magnitude larger than those found in previous studies that have compared students whose parents lose employment to otherwise similar students, suggesting that downturns affect all students, not just students who experience parental job loss. Our findings have important implications for accountability schemes: we calculate that a state experiencing one-year job losses to 2 percent of its workers (a magnitude observed in seven states) likely sees a 16 percent increase in the share of its schools failing to make Adequate Yearly Progress under No Child Left Behind.

In American culture, military service is often revered and celebrated, yet veterans frequently face higher rates of unemployment and underemployment compared to non-veterans. To delve into this phenomenon, our research draws on theories of positive stereotypes and negotiation to explore how seemingly favorable perceptions might disadvantage veterans in the hiring process. Through eight studies, we uncover a pervasive belief among the general public that veterans are not subject to hiring disadvantages, despite evidence to the contrary (Barrera & Carter, 2017; Boatwright & Roberts, 2020). While individuals generally regard veterans as desirable hires deserving equal compensation to non-veterans, they also perceive veterans as more likely to accept lower starting salaries than their non-veteran counterparts. Consequently, this belief leads to lower salary offers, potentially impacting veterans' future earnings and job satisfaction. Additionally, our findings suggest a perception that veterans are less inclined to negotiate compared to non-veterans, further complicating their employment prospects. Finally, our investigation into the influence of negotiation and veteran status on likability and perceived fit for leadership roles reveals a nuanced dynamic wherein negotiation diminishes likability and perceived fit for leadership type roles, particularly for veterans. Our research highlights a real-world scenario where the adverse effects of positive stereotypes on veterans may be overlooked, underscoring the need for greater awareness and scrutiny of such biases in employment practices.

Weight bias internalization is considered a chronic discriminatory stressor and a threat to health. Weight bias internalization has known associations with health-depleting behaviors (i.e., disordered eating, social isolation) and avoidance of health-promoting behaviors (i.e., physical activity, adherence to healthcare guidelines). Despite the numerous deleterious health effects of weight bias internalization, relatively few efficacious interventions have been identified for this critical treatment target. Self-compassion training presents itself as a potential intervention, though has not been rigorously tested in those with elevated internalized weight bias. Ruby was a two-arm randomized control designed to reduce internalized weight bias. Ruby tested the efficacy of a 4-week digitally-delivered self-compassion intervention compared to wait list control. Participants in the intervention group received daily text messages which included psychoeducation videos, writing prompts, and guided mindfulness audio files to facilitate daily mindful self-compassion practices ranging from 4-21 minutes per day. The main outcome of this trial was the 4-week reduction in weight bias internalization as measured by the Weight Bias Internalization Scale, compared to wait list control. Trial outcomes were analyzed using linear mixed models and one-way analysis of covariance models using an intent-to-treat framework. Ruby participants were 121 adults with elevated internalized weight bias (i.e., WBIS score > 4.0) and a body mass index over 30 kg/m2. Participants in the intervention demonstrated greater reductions in weight bias internalization compared to the wait list control (Net difference: -0.84, CI: -1.21 to -0.48, p < .0001). Participants in the intervention demonstrated similar reductions in secondary outcomes, including weight self-stigma, weight-related experiential avoidance, and fear of self-compassion (p’s < .05). Additionally, they reported increases in self-compassion, mindfulness, body appreciation, intuitive eating, and physical activity. Mediation analyses suggest that reductions in weight bias internalization are likely partially driven by increases in self-compassion. Ruby was the first digital standalone self-compassion based intervention targeting weight bias internalization. Results suggest that a brief mindful self-compassion intervention can meaningfully reduce internalized weight bias over 4 weeks. Additionally, a mindful self-compassion intervention can reduce several other secondary outcomes related to internalized weight bias. Due to its standalone digital delivery, Ruby may be a highly-scalable treatment for internalized weight bias that can be delivered on its own or combined with other treatments. Ruby is poised to expand a burgeoning body of literature related to psychological intervention for internalized weight bias.

Introduction

Method

Results

Discussion