Expectations of bias: does it matter why?
Jasia Pietrzak
Warsaw University
Rudy Mendoza-Denton
UC-Berkeley
Geraldine Downey
Columbia University
Where I’m coming from
Two basic assumptions
• Expectations of bias lead to negative outcomes in academic settings–e.g., attitudes towards & interactions with professors
• Fairness is a social identity issue–not a personal identity issue
Group Value Theory (Lind & Tyler, 1988)
• Group Value Theory posits that – treatment– bias expectations– trustaffect interactions with authorities and consequences of such interactions because these variables speak to one’s standing within a valued group (and standing is important to people)
• these relational variables weigh in more heavily than outcome in predicting – fairness ratings– satisfaction– affect – trust in and obligation to authority
• studies mainly in judicial settings
Prior experiences of rejection
• personal
• group-based
Intense (hot) reactions to perceived rejection
Cognitive-social learning history
Anxious expectations of rejection
Ready perceptions of rejection
Cognitive-affective processing dynamic
TRIGGERSITUATIONS
General Rejection Sensitivity (RS) Model
In conjunction
• GVT doesn’t speak of different kinds of bias leading to differential outcomes
• We think bias can be based on
– personal characteristics (personality, looks, je ne sais quoi)
(“RS-personal”)
– group characteristics (race, age, gender) (“RS-group”)
• And outcomes will differ accordingly
RS-personal
• dissatisfaction in relationships
• relationship breakups
• low self-esteem
RS-group
• mistrust of the majority and its institutions
• difficulties in pursuit of valued goals in those institutions
• underachievement
GVT’s view of interactions with
authorities
expectationsabout bias
perceptions oftreatment
trust
outcome
institutional engagement
fairness ratings
affect
RS’s view of interactions with
authorities
expectationsabout g-bias
perceptions oftreatment
institutional engagement
fairness ratings
affect trusttrust
personaldisengagement
low self-esteem
affectexpectationsabout p-bias
So we did a studyHow do expectations of (personal vs. gender) bias affect perceptions of and reactions to treatment by an educator?
Treatment can be seen as evidence of bias: Will disconfirmation of bias expectations reduce the negative impact of expectations?
Nasty treatment confirmation of bias expectationsNice treatment disconfirmation of bias expectations
only for group-based
bias
So we did a study• Tara on campus walk, paid people $2 or a soda to fill out 2-page questionnaire
• 240 participants read a scenario, answered questions about it
• scenarios differed by
EXPECTATIONS treatment outcome
good bad
unbiased nice
personal bias
gender bias
unbiased nasty
personal bias
gender bias
Here’s the
study design
–expectations (unbiased, personal bias, gender bias)
–outcome (goal met, goal not met)
–treatment (nice, nasty)
Example ScenarioImagine that you are taking a special summer session at your university before your junior year. It is a great opportunity to learn more about the field you are majoring in from local and visiting scholars, some of whom are famous. It is sure to be challenging, and you're very excited about it.
On the first day of class, you meet the professor. You had a professor last semester who didn’t seem to like you, and this one is giving you a similar vibe. You remember how awful it was to interact with that professor. The experience you had last semester comes flooding back into your head. You aren’t comfortable with the situation, but you’re stuck.
Two weeks later, a few days before the first assignment for the class is due, you realize you’re really invested in the work and you’re spending a lot of time on it. You want to get a better idea of how it’s going to be graded. You approach the professor at the end of a lecture to ask for a grading handout that you know is available to students. “Excuse me,” you say. “I have a couple of questions about grading, I was hoping you could give me a copy of the handout.”
The professor, shuffling through some papers, says, “Sure, hold on a sec…” then finds it, and hands it to you.
imbuing the thing with
importance
manipulation of
expectations
manipulation of treatment
and outcome
Example ScenarioImagine that you are taking a special summer session at your university before your junior year. It is a great opportunity to learn more about the field you are majoring in from local and visiting scholars, some of whom are famous. It is sure to be challenging, and you're very excited about it.
On the first day of class, you meet the professor. You had a professor last semester who didn’t like men, and this one is giving you a similar vibe. You remember how that professor was less helpful to the men in your class than to the women. The experience you had last semester comes flooding back into your head. You aren’t comfortable with the situation, but you’re stuck.
Two weeks later, a few days before the first assignment for the class is due, you realize you’re really invested in the work and you’re spending a lot of time on it. You want to get a better idea of how it’s going to be graded. You approach the professor at the end of a lecture to ask for a grading handout that you know is available to students. “Excuse me,” you say. “I have a couple of questions about grading, I was hoping you could give me a copy of the handout.”
The professor, shuffling through some papers, snaps, “Fine, if you have to, take my last copy,” and hands it to you.
imbuing the thing with
importance
manipulation of
expectations
manipulation of treatment
and outcome
ManipulationsOn the first day of class, you meet the professor. You had a professor last semester who didn’t like men, and this one is giving you a similar vibe. You remember how that professor was less helpful to the men in your class than to the women. The experience you had last semester comes flooding back into your head. You aren’t comfortable with the situation, but you’re stuck.
On the first day of class you meet the professor. You had a professor last semester who didn't seem to like you, and this one is giving you a similar vibe. You remember how awful it was to interact with that professor. The experience you had last semester comes flooding back into your head. You aren't comfortable with the situation, but you're stuck.
On the first day of class, you meet the professor. You had a professor last semester who seemed to like you, and this one is giving you a similar vibe. You remember that that professor was constructive and gave the students a lot of help. The experience you had last semester comes flooding back into your head. You are comfortable with the situation.
The professor, shuffling through some papers, says, “Sure, hold on a sec…” then finds it, and hands it to you.
The professor, shuffling through some papers, snaps, “Make an appointment!” and turns away.
The professor, shuffling through some papers, says, “I’m sorry, I just gave away my last copy. Why don’t you try to get it from another student in the class.”
The professor, shuffling through some papers, snaps, “Fine, if you have to, take my last copy,” and hands it to you.
manipulation of
expectations
manipulation of treatment
and outcome
Dependent Measuresaffect
perceptions of treatment
perceptions of professor
motivational consequences
confident nervous rejected sadcalm tense disrespected anxiousangry irritable happycomfortable enthusiastic relaxed
How likely are you to complain about the professor to your friends?How likely are you to complain about the professor to the administration?How would you rate the professor on a course evaluation?How sincere/intelligent/cold/snobby/pleasant/unfair is the professor? How much do you trust the professor?How much do you respect the professor?
How likely would you be to drop the class?What would your feelings be after this interaction about your major?
How fair do you consider the outcome of your interaction?How fair do you consider the process leading up to the outcome? How satisfied are you with the outcome of the interaction?To what extent do you think the professor treated you politely?To what extent do you think the professor treated you respectfully?
RESULTS
1. Main effects from GVT:– Does procedure outweigh outcome in an academic context?
2. Main effects from RS:– Do bias expectations matter?
– Do kinds of bias expectations matter?
3. Interaction hypothesis:– Do group expectations interact with treatment?
– Do these interactions depend on type of bias?
First thing: does GVT hold?
• yes: treatment affects DVs much more than outcome does– treatment >> outcome
• and it’s qualified by an interaction– when treatment bad, outcome doesn’t matter– when treatment good, outcome matters
How angry do you feel?
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
nice nasty
good
bad
treatment
(0-5)
outcome
F(1, 235)=10.12, p<.01Similar for irritable, disrespected, nervous…
How unfair is the professor?
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
nice nasty
good
bad
treatment
(1-7)
outcome
F(1, 235)=4.75, p<.05similar for snob, unfair, overall rating of prof
How fair was the outcome?
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
nice nasty
good
bad
treatment
(1-7)
outcome
F(1, 235)=20.95, p<.001similar for respect, happy, relaxed, comfortable..
RESULTS
1. Main effects from GVT:– Treatment does matter in an academic context
2. Main effects from RS:– Do bias expectations matter?
– Do kinds of bias expectations matter?
3. Interaction hypothesis:– Do group expectations interact with treatment?
– Do these interactions depend on type of bias?
Second thing: Do expectations matter?
well, almost. but not as much as treatment does. or as much as outcome.
• expectations of no bias lead to different effects than expectations of bias for– attributions (manipulation check)– perceptions of treatment – affect– perceptions of professor
• does kind of bias matter?
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
(1-5)no biaspersonal biasgender bias
expectations
F(2, 237)=5.39, p<.01
Attributions to self (MC)
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
(1-5)
no biaspersonal biasgender bias
expectations
Attributions to gender (MC)
F(2,137)=36.93, p<.001
3
3.5
4
4.5
(1-5)
no biaspersonal biasgender bias
expectations
Attributions to prof’s personality (MC)
F(2, 237)=5.34, p<.01
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
(1-7)no biaspersonal biasgender bias
expectation
How fair was the process?
F(2, 236)=10.85, p<.001similar for most percept of treatment vbs
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
(0-5)no biaspersonal biasgender bias
expectation
How angry do you feel?
F(2, 236)= 4.67, p<.01similar for relaxed, nervous, rejected, anxious…
2
3
4
5
6
7
(1-9) no biaspersonal biasgender bias
expectation
Overall rating of professor
F(2, 236)=17.84, p<.001
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
(1-7) no biaspersonal biasgender bias
expectation
How unfair is the professor?
F(2, 236)=14.19, p<.001similar for cold, snobby, pleasant, sincere
Second thing: Do expectations matter?
well, almost. but not as much as treatment does. or as much as outcome.
• expectations of no bias lead to different effects than expectations of bias for – attributions (manipulation check)– perceptions of treatment – affect– perceptions of professor
• does kind of bias matter?
Does the kind of bias matter?
• not really, some marginal effects
1
1.5
2
2.5
3(0-5)
How calm do you feel?
1
1.5
2
2.5
3(0-5)
no bias personal bias gender bias
How happy do you feel?
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
(1-7)
How politely were you treated?
overall F(2, 236)=2.28, p<.10bias conds F(1, 237)=1.80, p<.10
overall F(2, 236)=6.16, p<.01bias conds F(1, 237)=1.66, p<.10
overall F(2, 236)=4.72, p<.01bias conds F(1, 237)=1.97, p=.05
RESULTS
1. Main effects from GVT:– Treatment does matter in an academic context
2. Main effects from RS:– Bias expectations (vs no-bias expectations) affect
• attributions, perceptions of treatment, perceptions of professor, affect…
– Type for bias expectation does not have a direct effect
3. Consistent with the moderation hypothesis:– Do expectations interact with treatment?
– Do these interactions depend on type of bias?
Third thing: Moderation
• the effect of treatment is moderated by expectations for– perceptions of treatment – affect– perceptions of professor– academic motivation
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
no bias personal bias gender bias
(1-7)
nicenasty
expectations
How politely were you treated?
overall F(1, 236)=2.72, p<.10bias conds F(1, 155)=4.28, p<.05
treatment
similar for respectful treatment
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
no bias personalbias
gender bias
(0-5) nicenasty
expectations
How confident do you feel?
overall F(1, 228)=2.93, p=.05bias conds F(1, 156)=5.16, p<.05similar for comfortable, irritable, nervous
treatment
2
3
4
5
6
no bias personal bias gender bias
(1-7)
nicenasty
expectations
How likely are you to complain about the prof to your friends?
overall F(1, 236)=4.12, p<.05bias conds F(1, 156)=5.16, p<.05similar for respect the prof
treatment
4
4.5
5
5.5
6
no bias personalbias
gender bias
nice
nasty
How do you feel about your major?
overall F(1, 235)=2.98, p=.05bias conds F(1, 155)=3.93, p<.05
no change
(1-9)
treatment
better
worse
RESULTS
1. Main effects from GVT:– Treatment does matter in an academic context
2. Main effects from RS:– Bias expectations (vs no-bias expectations) affect
• attributions, perceptions of treatment, perceptions of professor, affect…
– Type for bias expectation has not as much effect as we hypothesized
3. Consistent with the moderation hypothesis:– Group-based bias expectations follow the pattern predicted by GVT,
personal bias expectations do not• Expectations of bias based on gender
– can be counteracted by disconfirmation • Expectations of bias based on personal characteristics
1. less affected by disconfirmation
Next study
If disconfirmation of gender-bias expectations can reverse effects of those expectations…
well, disconfirmation can come in various guises. Seeing the professor treat an ingroup member politely should have similar effects.
(disconfirmation of personal bias expectations, though, has to occur personally)
Vicarious study• Tara on campus walk, paid people $2 or a soda to fill out 2-page questionnaire
• 234 participants read a scenario, answered questions about it
• scenarios differed by
– treatment (nice, nasty)
– outcome (goal met, goal not met)
– expectations (unbiased, personal bias, gender bias)
EXPECTATIONS treatment outcome
good bad
unbiased nice
personal bias
gender bias
unbiased nasty
personal bias
gender bias
Here’s the
study design
Example vicarious scenarioImagine that you are taking a lecture series course at your university before your junior year. The lecture series is only organizes once every few years, so you’re really lucky to be taking it. It is a great opportunity to learn more about the field you are majoring in from local and visiting scholars, some of whom are famous. It is sure to be challenging, and you're very excited about it.
On the first day of class, you meet the professor who will be leading the series. You had a professor last semester who didn’t like women, and this one is giving you a similar vibe. You remember how that professor was less helpful to the women in your class than to the men. The experience you had last semester comes flooding back into your head. You aren’t comfortable with the situation, but you’re stuck.
Two weeks later, a few days before the first assignment for the class is due, you realize you’re really invested in the work and you’re spending a lot of time on it. You want to get a better idea of how it’s going to be graded. You approach the professor at the end of a lecture. The professor is speaking to another student, who is asking for the grading handout that is available to students. “Excuse me,” the student says. “I have a couple of questions about grading, I was hoping you could give me a copy of the handout.”
The professor, shuffling through some papers, says, “Sure, hold on a sec…” then finds it, and hands it over.
imbuing the thing with
importance
manipulation of bias
expectations
manipulation of treatment
and outcome
vicarious
Results
1. Main effects from GVT:– Again, treatment is the best predictor of the DVs
2. Main effects RS:– Bias expectations (vs no-bias expectations) affect
• attributions, perceptions of treatment, perceptions of professor, affect…
3. Consistent with the vicarious moderation hypothesis:– are group-based expectations overcome by vicarious experience?
Perceptions of treatment
1
2
3
4
5
6
nice nasty
good
bad
treatment
(1-7)
outcome
(similar for evaluation of & avoidance of prof)
1
2
3
(0-5) no biaspersonal biasgender bias
expectation
Affect
Evaluations of prof
3.5
4
4.5
5
5.5
(1-9)
2
3
4
(1-7)
Trust in professor
Overall
Results
1. Main effects from GVT:– Again, treatment is the best predictor of the DVs
2. Main effects RS:– Bias expectations (vs no-bias expectations) affect
• attributions, perceptions of treatment, perceptions of professor, affect…
3. Consistent with the vicarious moderation hypothesis:– Interestingly….
• Expectations of bias based on gender – ARE NOT counteracted by
disconfirmation • Expectations of bias based on personal characteristics
1. ARE affected by disconfirmation
4
4.25
4.5
4.75
5
5.25
no bias personal bias gender bias
(1-9)nicenasty
expectations
Feel about yourself
treatment
“no change”
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
no bias personalbias
gender bias
nice
nasty
Anxious
(0-5) treatment
2
3
4
5
6
7
no bias personal bias gender bias
(1-9)nicenasty
expectations
Overall rating of prof
treatment
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
good bad good bad good bad
(1-7)
nicenasty
treatment
interaction for bias conditions significant
Perception of treatment
outcome irrelevant for gender bias, not for personal bias
nobias personal gender
Exciting conclusions
• Some indication that expectations interact with treatment to influence perceptions of social interactions
• Vicarious experiences lead to unexpected (complex) results
Ideas for continuation
• Group-bias manipulation:
– ‘liking’ not as effective as ‘competence’ (for women?)
– scenario not conducive to expressing bias
• Personal-bias manipulation
• For overcoming personal-bias
– “nice” treatment could be a façade
– “warm” treatment could be more effective
• RS model suggests mediation
– expectations--> perceptions--> outcomes
– this turned out a little bit messy here, though• for men, for attributions to gender:
– a constellation of nervous-anxious emotions– intent to drop the class
Other interesting things to think about?
Thanks for coming!
ManipulationsOn the first day of class, you meet the professor. You had a professor last semester who didn’t like men, and this one is giving you a similar vibe. You remember how that professor was less helpful to the men in your class than to the women. The experience you had last semester comes flooding back into your head. You aren’t comfortable with the situation, but you’re stuck.
On the first day of class you meet the professor. You had a professor last semester who didn't seem to like you, and this one is giving you a similar vibe. You remember how awful it was to interact with that professor. The experience you had last semester comes flooding back into your head. You aren't comfortable with the situation, but you're stuck.
On the first day of class, you meet the professor. You had a professor last semester who seemed to like you, and this one is giving you a similar vibe. You remember that that professor was constructive and gave the students a lot of help. The experience you had last semester comes flooding back into your head. You are comfortable with the situation.
The professor, shuffling through some papers, says, “Sure, hold on a sec…” then finds it, and hands it to you.
The professor, shuffling through some papers, snaps, “Make an appointment!” and turns away.
The professor, shuffling through some papers, says, “I’m sorry, I just gave away my last copy. Why don’t you try to get it from another student in the class.”
The professor, shuffling through some papers, snaps, “Fine, if you have to, take my last copy,” and hands it to you.
manipulation of
expectations
manipulation of treatment
and outcome
• Is there hope for the mediation hypothesis?
• Attributions affect lots of stuff…
What do attributions affect?
assumptionsabout bias
perceptions oftreatment
institutional engagement
fairness ratings
affect
trust
Attributions to professor predict
• affect
• less satisfaction
• perceptions of unfair outcome, unfair process
• perceptions of less polite respectful treatment
• higher likelihood of complaining
• worse feelings about CU & major
• devaluing the professor
Attributions to self predict
• lower perceptions of respectful treatment
• dropping the class
• devaluing professor – he’s cold, he irritates me, I don’t trust him
Attributions to gender predictFor women• less interest in major• more enthusiasm (??)For men• affect• lower overall prof rating• devaluing prof: unfair, snob, don’t trust him• unfair outcome• dropping class• less interest in major
So is there mediation?
• for women, no• for men,
– for attributions to gender:• a constellation of nervous-anxious emotions• intent to drop the class
assumptionsabout bias
perceptions oftreatment
institutional engagement
fairness ratings
affect
trust
Interesting things to think about
• gender differences– expectations of gender bias affect men more than
they do women
• women more enthusiastic -- more likely to ingratiate/work to overcome prof’s bias????
• gender attribution differences
enthusiasm
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
nobias personalbias
gender bias
(0-5)
nicegoodnicebadnastygoodnastybad
treatment/outcome
interaction for bias conditions significant
drop
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
nobias personalbias
gender bias
(1-7)
nicegoodnicebadnastygoodnastybad
treatment/outcome
interaction for bias conditions not significant
how respectfully were you treated?
11.5
22.5
33.5
44.5
5
nobias personalbias
gender bias
(1-7)
nicegoodnicebadnastygoodnastybad
treatment/outcome
interaction for bias conditions not significant
outcome has an effect for bias conds, not for no bias