scholarly journals Is there Bias in Alternatives to Standardized Tests? An Investigation into Content Differences in Letters of Recommendation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dev K. Dalal ◽  
Jason Randall ◽  
Ho Kwan Cheung ◽  
Brandon Gorman ◽  
Sylvia G. Roch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Standardized Tests ◽  
Graduate Programs ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Appreciable Amount ◽  
Race And Gender ◽  
Subgroup Differences ◽  
Diversity And Inclusion ◽  
Marginalized Groups ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Letters Of Recommendation

Individuals concerned with subgroup differences on standardized tests suggest replacing these tests with holistic evaluations of unstructured application materials, such as letters of recommendation (LORs), which they posit show less bias. We empirically investigate this proposition that LORs are bias-free, and argue that LORs might actually invite systematic, race and gender subgroup differences in the content and evaluation of LORs. We text analyzed over 37,000 LORs submitted on behalf of over 10,000 graduate school applicants. Results showed that LOR content does differ across applicants. Furthermore, we see some systematic gender, race, and gender-race intersection differences in LOR content. Content of LORs also systematically differed between degree programs (S.T.E.M. vs. non-S.T.E.M.) and degree sought (doctoral vs. masters). Finally, LOR content alone did not predict an appreciable amount of variance in offers of admission (the first barrier to increasing diversity and inclusion in graduate programs). Our results, combined with past research on LOR content bias, highlight concerns that LORs can be biased against marginalized groups. We conclude with suggestions for reducing potential bias in LOR and for increasing diversity in graduate programs.

Are Achievement Gap Estimates Biased by Differential Student Test Effort? Putting an Important Policy Metric to the Test

2018 ◽  
Vol 120 (12) ◽  
pp. 1-26
Author(s):  
James Soland
Keyword(s):  
Achievement Gap ◽  
White Students ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
Achievement Gaps ◽  
Content Mastery ◽  
Race And Gender ◽  
Subgroup Differences ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Background Context ◽  
Differential Test

Background/Context Achievement gaps motivate a range of practices and policies aimed at closing those gaps. Most gaps studies assume that differences in observed test scores across subgroups are measuring differences in content mastery. For such an assumption to hold, students in the subgroups being compared need to be giving similar effort on the test. Studies already show that low test effort is prevalent and biases observed test scores downward. What research does not demonstrate is whether test effort differs by subgroup and, therefore, biases estimates of achievement gaps. Purpose This study examines whether test effort differs by student subgroup, including by race and gender. The sensitivity of achievement gap estimates to any differences in test effort is also considered. Research Design A behavioral proxy for test effort called “rapid guessing” was used. Rapid guessing occurs when students answer a test item so fast, they could not have understood its content. Rates of rapid guessing were compared across subgroups. Then, achievement gaps were estimated unconditional and conditional on measures of rapid guessing. Findings Test effort differs substantially by subgroup, with males rapidly guessing nearly twice as often as females in later grades, and Black students rapidly guessing more often than White students. However, these differences in rapid guessing generally do not impact substantive interpretations of achievement gaps, though basic conclusions about male–female gaps and changes in gaps as students progress through school may change when models account for test effort. Conclusions Although the bias introduced into achievement gap estimates by differential test effort is hard to quantify, results provide an important reminder that test scores reflect achievement only to the extent that students are willing and able to demonstrate what they have learned. Understanding why there are subgroup differences in test effort would likely be useful to educators and is worthy of additional study.

scholarly journals Race and Gender Bias in Internal Medicine Program Director Letters of Recommendation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neil Zhang ◽  
Sarah Blissett ◽  
David Anderson ◽  
Patricia O'Sullivan ◽  
Atif Qasim
Keyword(s):  
Internal Medicine ◽  
Gender Bias ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Program Director ◽  
Fellowship Program ◽  
Career Trajectory ◽  
Race And Gender ◽  
Convenience Sampling ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Letters Of Recommendation

ABSTRACT Background While program director (PD) letters of recommendation (LOR) are subject to bias, especially against those underrepresented in medicine, these letters are one of the most important factors in fellowship selection. Bias manifests in LOR in a number of ways, including biased use of agentic and communal terms, doubt raising language, and description of career trajectory. To reduce bias, specialty organizations have recommended standardized PD LOR. Objective This study examined PD LOR for applicants to a cardiology fellowship program to determine the mechanism of how bias is expressed and whether the 2017 Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine (AAIM) guidelines reduce bias. Methods Fifty-six LOR from applicants selected to interview at a cardiology fellowship during the 2019 and 2020 application cycles were selected using convenience sampling. LOR for underrepresented (Black, Latinx, women) and non-underrepresented applicants were analyzed using directed qualitative content analysis. Two coders used an iteratively refined codebook to code the transcripts. Data were analyzed using outputs from these codes, analytical memos were maintained, and themes summarized. Results With AAIM guidelines, there appeared to be reduced use of communal language for underrepresented applicants, which may represent less bias. However, in both LOR adherent and not adherent to the guidelines, underrepresented applicants were still more likely to be described using communal language, doubt raising language, and career trajectory bias. Conclusions PDs used language in a biased way to describe underrepresented applicants in LOR. The AAIM guidelines reduced but did not eliminate this bias. We provide recommendations to PDs and the AAIM on how to continue to work to reduce this bias.

scholarly journals Race- and Gender-Based Differences in Descriptions of Applicants in the Letters of Recommendation for Orthopaedic Surgery Residency

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. e20.00023-e20.00023
Author(s):  
Alexa Powers ◽  
Katherine M. Gerull ◽  
Rachel Rothman ◽  
Sandra A. Klein ◽  
Rick W. Wright ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Orthopaedic Surgery ◽  
Race And Gender ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Letters Of Recommendation

Shared Identities: Intersectionality, Linked Fate, and Perceptions of Political Candidates

2020 ◽  
pp. 106591292095164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Bejarano ◽  
Nadia E. Brown ◽  
Sarah Allen Gershon ◽  
Celeste Montoya
Keyword(s):  
Gender Identity ◽  
Descriptive Representation ◽  
Political Candidates ◽  
Race And Gender ◽  
Linked Fate ◽  
Racial Identities ◽  
Unique Data ◽  
Marginalized Groups ◽  
2016 Election ◽  
And Gender

Scholars of gender and race have long acknowledged the importance that descriptive representation plays for marginalized groups, if not substantively than symbolically. Yet, as candidate pools diversify to better reflect the population, it becomes less clear which among intersecting and overlapping identities will matter and how. Employing data from the 2016 Collaborative Multiracial Post-Election Survey, we explore the association between minority voters’ sense of linked fate and their beliefs about candidates who share (or do not share) their gender and racial identities. Using this timely and unique data, collected immediately after the 2016 election when race and gender were of particular salience, we examine whether shared racial and gender identity is associated with Black and Latina/o voters’ beliefs about how well different candidates will represent their interests. We conclude by discussing the implications of our research for the changing face of American political candidates and voters.

Exploring Religion, Race and Gender as Factors in the Life Satisfaction and Religiosity of Young South African Adults

2009 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 266-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia J. Patel ◽  
Sarojini Ramgoon ◽  
Zubeda Paruk
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Religious Orientation ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Satisfaction With Life Scale ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Race And Gender ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Indian Students

We explored differences in religious and existential well-being, religiosity, and life satisfaction among university students across religion, race, and gender, by using an adapted version of the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS), the Religious Orientation Test (ROT), and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). A convenience sample of 235 students participated in the study. The females ( n = 188) reported significantly higher levels of religiosity and religious well-being than the males ( n = 47). The white students (n = 43) were found to have lower religiosity levels than their black ( n = 59) and Indian ( n = 133) counterparts and higher life satisfaction scores than the black students. In the Indian sub-sample, the Muslim ( n = 24) as well as the Christian ( n = 29) students had higher levels of religiosity than the Hindu ( n = 80) students. The Christian (Indian) students had significantly higher religious well-being scores than the Hindu (Indian) students. In line with past research, the correlations between life satisfaction, religiosity, and religious well-being were significant. As scores on the SWLS increased, levels of religiosity and religious well-being also increased. The implications of the findings and the limitations of the study are discussed.

Sustainable Cycling for all? Race and Gender–Based Bicycling Inequalities in Portland, Oregon

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1181-1202
Author(s):  
Amy Lubitow ◽  
Kyla Tompkins ◽  
Madeleine Feldman
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Gender Discrimination ◽  
The United States ◽  
People Of Color ◽  
Social Barriers ◽  
Race And Gender ◽  
Marginalized Groups ◽  
Economic Barriers ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
And Gender

Amidst findings of increased bicycling in the United States, research continues to demonstrate that women and racial minorities are underrepresented as cyclists in the United States (Buehler and Pucher 2012). While quantitative data may reveal estimates of these disparities, we know little about the motivations or deterrents related to cycling as they are experienced by individuals. This article draws from 30 in–depth interviews with women and people of color in Portland, Oregon to clarify ongoing barriers to bicycling that prevent those who own a bike (and are thus not limited strictly by economic barriers) from becoming more routine cyclists. Findings suggest that barriers for marginalized cyclists range from concerns about development and gentrification to overt racial and gender discrimination experienced while riding. These findings suggest that cycling mobilities are critically linked to intersecting and overlapping identities and those efforts to increase diversity in bike ridership must acknowledge the unique challenges experienced by marginalized groups. We conclude this article by offering suggestions from research participants regarding interventions that might reduce social barriers to biking.

scholarly journals The Dynamic Process of Racial Steering in U.S. Housing Markets

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Hall ◽  
Jeff Timberlake ◽  
Elaina Johns-Wolfe ◽  
Alex Currit
Keyword(s):  
Census Data ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Search Process ◽  
Race And Gender ◽  
Housing Discrimination ◽  
White Neighborhoods ◽  
Socioeconomic Composition ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Hispanic White

Housing discrimination has long been thought to contribute to the persistence of racial segregation, yet evidence indicates that explicit forms of housing discrimination have waned. We argue that past work has not fully considered the role of racial steering in maintaining segregation. To explore patterns of steering, we use the 2012 Housing Discrimination Study along with Census data on the neighborhood racial and socioeconomic composition of housing units shown to testers. We leverage the experimental design of the audits to examine how neighborhoods of homes shown to auditors change dynamically throughout the search process and to assess the conditions under which steering is most likely. As with past research, we find no evidence of steering in Asian-White or Hispanic-White audits. However, we find consistent evidence that Black testers are steered away from White neighborhoods and toward Blacker ones, particularly for female homeseekers and those with children. We also find that steering occurs relatively early in the search process and is heightened when searches begin in racially-homogenous neighborhoods. These findings support arguments that the steering of Black homeseekers serves as a modest but stubborn mechanism by which segregation is maintained, and highlight the intersectionality of race and gender in determining outcomes.

scholarly journals Troubling Diversity and Inclusion: Racialized Women’s Experiences in the Canadian Armed Forces

2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 42-56
Author(s):  
Tammy George
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experiences ◽  
White Supremacy ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Race And Gender ◽  
Diversity And Inclusion ◽  
Canadian Armed Forces ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Structural Inequities ◽  
Canadian Military

This article centers on the lived experiences of racialized servicewomen in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). Drawing on qualitative interviews with racialized servicewomen, I problematize the function of contemporary diversity and inclusion initiatives within the CAF. Focusing on the intersection of race and gender in their lives provides a way to think through structural inequities within the Canadian military. By examining how these structures of power operate within the CAF, we are better situated to understand how current diversity and inclusion initiatives work to consolidate hegemonic power. Informed by feminist critical race theories and critical geography, I trace the experiences of racialized servicewomen to understand how they make sense of their inclusion and belonging and how they assess their everyday experiences in the context of diversity and inclusion strategies presented by the CAF. Their lived experiences reveal the importance of race and gender in their lives, and expose the limits of diversity and inclusion practices, particularly, in their inability to address deeper structural issues of white supremacy, heteronormativity, and patriarchy within the CAF. While concepts of diversity and inclusion are typically concerned with the inclusion of those on the margins, this research suggests that we must seriously interrogate the theoretical, practical, and political work of diversity and inclusion initiatives within a multicultural context. Troubling inclusion and diversity in the CAF demands we disrupt structures of dominance and reflect on how to re/conceptualize and re/integrate meaningful difference more substantially throughout institutional life in multicultural Canada.

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