Consequences of gender composition during a diversity intervention

Abstract

Persistent gender bias (i.e., favorable treatment of men over women) has been consistently documented as the most likely cause perpetuating gender disparity in STEM occupations. It is therefore crucial to develop effective diversity interventions that increase awareness of gender bias and decrease sexism in STEM. However, interventions that facilitate greater recognition of gender bias in STEM may inadvertently trigger social identity concerns for women, suggesting they may not fit in those environments. Moreover, women may be less comfortable speaking up in groups where their gender is numerically underrepresented. To mitigate these negative consequences, current research tested the effectiveness of gender composition in a virtual group setting as an identity-safe cue. Results suggested that in groups that consisted primarily of women, participants identified more with their group and this increased identification, in turn, helped alleviate social identity threat. Additionally, participants in female majority groups were more likely than those in female minority groups to participate in group discussions via increased identification with their group. Thus, our findings indicated that diversity practitioners should consider exploring whether diversity interventions in STEM also inadvertently elicit social identity threat for women. Additionally, when developing new trainings, it is important to incorporate identity-safe cues in order to neutralize any potential threat associated with these trainings.