Research - 03.02.2025 - 11:00
The archetype of “ideal researcher” is a man (“he looks like a scientist”). Even when people talk about an “academic star”, many unconsciously think of a man. Studies show that male applicants for university professorships are often judged holistically and by their overall capacities, while women are assessed more on the basis of details such as clothing, their presentation style or other external characteristics. This type of distorted perception is called “implicit bias”. These are unconscious attitudes and stereotypes that can influence both individual and collective decision-making processes. They not only affect individuals, but also play a role in group processes, for example in appointment committees. To address this problem, the University of St.Gallen offers bias training in the form of an online tool and as a one-to-one consultation with an expert.
Bias training is an important tool for counteracting prejudice and can help institutions make more balanced decisions. These trainings are now widely used. This is because unconscious bias can occur in all phases of the appointment, recruitment, promotion or project allocation process and is often difficult to recognize. Prejudice affects not only women, but also other minority groups, such as different age groups or people from racialized groups.
A central component of the appointment process are committees, whose members often have different priorities and assessment criteria: The representative of the appointing School wants outstanding research, one from the university leadership may place additional emphasis on the equality targets, and teaching experience is of particular interest to the student representative that adds complex group dynamics to the appointment negotiation process.
The diversity of perspectives holds opportunities, but also challenges, particularly with regard to implicit biases and complex group dynamics. This is where bias training comes in.
In order to make prejudices visible and actively promote diversity, the Counselling and Specialist Unit for Diversity, Equality & Inclusion has developed an online bias training tool with a gamified component. The tool guides players through fictitious but realistic scenarios that cover all phases of an appointment procedure for university professorships.
The game's mission is as follows: The (fictitious) university with the evocative name “Altenklangs” wants to increase the diversity of its academic staff. An appointment committee is tasked with proposing a suitable candidate for the new professorship to be filled.
Users of the tool not only observe the meetings of a fictitious appointment committee but also actively participate in the decision-making process. At the end of the game, it becomes clear whether a professor has been appointed – or not.
You can try out the “Implicit Bias” tool on the website of the Counselling and Specialist Unit for Diversity, Equality & Inclusion at the University of St.Gallen.