Gender Bias

Gender bias, in a psychological sense, refers to a systematic tendency to evaluate, treat or perceive individuals differently based on their gender rather than on the individual merits or qualities relevant to a given judgment, often favoring one gender over another in domains such as hiring, performance evaluation or perceived competence. Experimental studies of the phenomenon include a widely cited 2012 study by the biologist Corinne Moss-Racusin and colleagues, in which science faculty rated an identical application for a laboratory manager position as more competent and more hireable, and recommended a higher starting salary, when the applicant was given a male name rather than a female name. Gender bias is studied across social, organizational and developmental psychology, and researchers distinguish explicit gender attitudes that a person consciously endorses from implicit gender associations that can influence judgment and behavior even among people who explicitly reject gender-based discrimination.