Stereotype Threat: Strategies for Changing Unconscious Bias

Stereotype Threat:Strategies for ChangingUnconscious Bias Pamela J. Dempsey Director, CTE Promotions Weldon Cooper CenterUVA 1/4/2020 1

Workshop Objectives • Introduction • Definitions • Triggers • Recognizing Micro-inequities • Addressing • Tools for personal development • Exercises • Summary

IAT Implicit Association Test Results What does it mean. . .

Implicit Bias Implicit Association Test(IAT)https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/demo/

Professional Development:Small Group Discussion 1. What does your Gender – Science IAT result mean to you? 2. Why are these results important to you? 3. What actions do you want to take in light of these results? Implicit Bias

Changing Our Biases

Setting the Stage • Challenges for women in STEM fields • Addressing the “chilly climate” • Taking action for change Overt negative behaviors, such as harassment, are more readily visible It’s the small and seemingly insignificant behaviors that are more challenging to recognize

Setting the Stage • “Unintended Signals of Discouragement” are “Micro-inequities’, invisible barriers to women’s equal entry to and participation produce a ‘chilly climate’ for women and girls in S&T • Attitudes of male interviewers • Women tend to be assigned to less powerful committees, possess fewer budgetary resources, and are placed in less-centrally located offices • Less access to the ‘old boy’ networks and decision making • Individual actions • Dealing with our own unconscious biases as teachers & mentors • Dealing with inappropriate actions of others

Understanding the Concepts EQUITY Concept or idea of fairness. DIVERSITY Measure of variance along some dimension within a group INCLUSION Fully and respectfully involving all individuals in the activities and life of an organization

Understanding the Concepts MICRO-MESSAGES Signals we send to one another through our behavior. They are called “micro” because the behaviors are small, although their impact can be enormous. MICRO-INEQUITIES Micro-messages we send other people that cause them to feel devalued, slighted, discouraged or excluded. MICRO-AFFIRMATIONS Micro-messages that cause people to feel valued, included, or encouraged.

Micro-Messaging 90% of our communication is non-verbal What kinds of messages are you sending? "It’s not what you say or do, it’s the way you say or do it"

What Are Micro-Inequities? Subtle negative messages that build up and have a big impact. • Negative micro-messages • Tiny, pervasive, cumulative • Often semi-conscious • Lurking just below the surface • Built into an organization’s culture • Leads to damaged self-esteem, withdrawal • Discourages creativity and risk-taking The Result:An Inequitable Work Environment

DeconstructingMicro-Inequities These subtle messages build up and have a huge impact Characterized by: • Looks, gestures, tones • Seemingly harmless messages of devaluation • Absence of message • Levels of interaction

Examples of Micro-Inequity • Dismissing the idea of a female student only to applaud the same idea when paraphrased by a male student. • A leader uses a light-hearted, playful greeting with some faculty, but greets others in a formal, more distant manner. • Search committee members are welcoming when meeting white male candidate but reserved when meeting a woman candidate. • Repeatedly confusing the names of classmates who share the same ethnic background. • A faculty member is fully engaged when responding to the contribution of a male student, but critical when females respond.

Examples of Micro-Inequity • Facial expressions or body language dismissing importance of diversity • A woman faculty member is not introduced or is ignored completely after being introduced • Assumption that women faculty are secretaries or support staff • Referring to white male faculty as “Dr.” or “Professor” but referring to female or faculty of color by first name or “Mr.” or “Mrs.” • Chair introduces new male faculty member at department meeting by talking about his research; introduces new female faculty member by talking about how she will bring attractiveness to the faculty ranks

Effects of Micro-Inequities • Decrease in speaking/sharing ideas • Decrease in taking risks • Decrease in productivity • Increase in discrimination complaints • Poor retention and recruitment • High turnover

The Cost of Micro-Inequity • Leads to damaged self-esteem, withdrawal • Discourages creativity and risk-taking • Results in negative Pygmalion effect Think of some micro-inequities you have either sent, seen, or experienced?

Micro-Affirmations • Positive micro-messages • Act as catalyst for unleashing potential and results • Inspire confidence • Enable stretch for higher goals Question: What might a micro-affirmation look like? Think of some micro-affirmations you have either sent, seen, or experienced?

An Inequitable Work Environment • Lack of collegiality • Lack of mentoring and support • Lack of sharing information, especially implicit information • informal networks don’t work well for faculty who are in underrepresented groups • Isolation • Described by senior women faculty of color as the single most important barrier for faculty of color • Not being privy to the things required to be successful Micro-inequities are more of a barrier to a truly inclusive culture than overt harassment or discrimination

Micro-MessagingTRIGGERS

Triggers are Hardwired • “The familiar”  REWARDED • “The different”  ATTACKED • Key to addressing micro-inequities is to gain fluency in: • Recognizing our triggers • Recognizing the triggers in our organizations • Minimizing negative messaging

Our Triggers are Hardwired The Familiar The Different Dangerous Alien Of lesser value Must be attacked • Safe • Known • Given greater value • Is rewarded We must learn to recognize our triggers if we are to take charge of our micro-messaging

Triggers to Consider • Gender • Race • Looks, height, weight • Dress • Perceived sexual orientation • Perceived nationality • _______________________ • _______________________ May be positive or negative May be culturally determined

RECOGNIZING Micro-Inequities Listen Look Reflect

Micro-inequities often look like variances in: • Body language • Vocal Tone • Vocabulary • Eye contact • Physical contact • Access • Questions and interactions Look Look for repeated patterns of these and other variances when people are interacting

Micro-inequities translate into statements like: • “I don’t feel welcome.” • “I don’t feel supported.” • “I don’t feel valued.” • “My contribution has been marginalized.” • “I feel invisible.” Listen

Notice your reactions… • When am I listening? • When am I shutting people out? • Who am I including and excluding? • Who am I encouraging and praising? • Whose contributions am I taking for granted? • Who do I consistently overlook? Reflect

Recognize ADDRESSING Micro-Inequities Challenge Educate

Taking Action Dealing with our own unconscious biases as teachers and mentors Dealing with inappropriate actions of others Chris Argyris’ Ladder of Inference

Key Micro-Inequity Elements • Verbal (What is Said) • Para-Verbal (How it’s said) • Non-Verbal (Body Language) • Contextual (Who else is there; Culture, e-Mail, Phone, etc.) • What is not said or not done Recognize

Environmental Scan • PLUS: • What positive and supportive behaviors do you see working for you and your team in your work environment? • What behaviors get in you or your team’s way in teaching mutual respect, positive regards, and good outcomes in your work setting? • DELTA: • What needs to change? How?

Process Tips forPlus/Delta+/∆ Purpose:This evaluation quality tool provides a method for continuous improvement for a team. The +/∆ evaluation can help the team stretch itself to even higher levels of performance.

Pluses • Identify the things that are working first • These are the items the team wants to maintain and build upon • These are also the things that are working for the team

Deltas(opportunities for improvement) • These are opportunities for improvement, things that can be improved/changed so that teams may be more effective • Deltas should be action oriented and begin with a verb • Deltas should be specific • Deltas should be within the realm of possibility • Deltas should be reviewed and acted upon as soon as possible

Environmental Scan Pluses+ Deltas∆

Start Asking • Start a dialogue… • Do you feel included, respected, valued? • What behaviors shut people out? • What behaviors encourage everyone’s participation? • What can I do, large or small, to send micro-affirmations? • What can my work or research group do? Challenge

ChallengeMicro-Inequities Around You • Verbalize and validate • Stay authentically present • Seek clarification/ask questions • Acknowledge when you observe micro-inequities • Recognize when you send micro-inequities • View your environment through the eyes of others • Align intent and goals with micro-messages

Challenging Micro-Inequities You Receive • Acknowledge when you receive a micro-inequity • Ensure people value and include you: • Become familiar with assertion strategies • When someone interrupts you, set a limit by simply telling the person you are you have yet not finished speaking. • Left off a distribution list? Go to the person sending the message and ask to be included next time. • Don’t overreact. It is best to allow the person to “save face.” Assume the micro-inequity was unintentional. A small act of exclusion might not warrant a long and deep discussion. • Simply ask for a change in behavior. If the behavior was unintentional, the person will probably stop. • If the behavior continues, you may want to have a deeper discussion or seek outside support

Neutralizing Micro-Inequities Scenario Response __________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ • Facial expressions or body language dismissing importance of diversity • A woman graduate student is not introduced or ignored completely after being introduced • Assumption that women faculty are assistants or support staff • Referring to white male faculty as “Dr.” or “Professor” but referring to female faculty by first name or “Mr.” or “Mrs.” • Chair introduces new male faculty member at department meeting by talking about his research; introduces new female faculty member by talking about how she will bring attractiveness to the faculty ranks

Sending Micro-Advantages Based on Stephen Young, Micro-inequities: The Power of Small, 2008 Insight Education Systems • Actively solicit opinions • Ask questions • Give credit to others’ ideas • Actively listen • Monitor facial express and body language • Monitor greetings and introductions • Manage interruptions and encourage participation • Respond constructively to disagreements Educate

It’s All About Engagement • Yourself • Others • Your organization

Supporting Women in STEM Fields • Don’t pretend you haven’t noticed their gender or that gender isn’t a factor • Keep in regular contact to assess how they are feeling about the environment • Example: How are your meetings run? Respectful discussions where you recognize people before they talk and make sure no one dominates the discussion or Free for all discussions where whoever is willing to interrupt the current speaker or jumps in when the current speaker stops to take a breath gets to talk and a few dominate

Making it Personal • Judge the strength of the micro-inequity by the impact it’s having • Be open when others tell you about it • Examine your own personal lenses • Listen even when it’s a surprise • Encourage others to do this work

Making it Personal • Engage in critical self-analysis • Work toward aligning your intent and goals with your micro-messages. Identify one thing you will start and one thing you still stop • Make a conscious effort to view your environment through the eyes of others

Making it Personal • Do I feel included, respected, valued? • Which of my behaviors shut people out? • Which of my behaviors encourage everyone’s participation? • What can I do, large or small, to bring about affirming change? • What can my work group do?

Micro-InequityExercise • Share an example of a micro-inequity you’ve seen or experienced that bothered you. • Share an example of a micro-inequity you’ve sent to others. • What did you do in response to the micro-inequity?(i.e., Did you speak about it directly to the person, stay silent, complain to others….)

Micro-Messaging Worksheet Micro-inequities Micro-affirmations

Scanning for Micro-Inequities Exercise based on Stephen Young, Microinequities: The Power of Small, 2008 Insight Education Systems Self-Assessment Self-Improvement Micro-advantages I can send next time: Strategies for action: Strategies for intervening: Micro-inequities I sent this time: Micro-inequities I received: Micro-inequities I observed:

Organizations • Informal networks do not work as well for women and minority faculty • Equal treatment is NOT necessarily equitable treatment • Organizations must actively “un-null” the environment

Stereotype Threat: Strategies for Changing Unconscious Bias