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171 news posts in Frontiers in Psychology

Psychology

14 Jun 2017

No evidence of gender bias in philosophy

Despite a gender imbalance, there is no evidence for gender bias against women in securing tenure-track positions in philosophy — By Conn Hastings     Despite being a male-dominated field, a recent study has found no evidence for gender bias against women in philosophy, in terms of securing tenure-track positions as college professors. Good news, but why aren’t there more women in philosophy? Gender imbalance is prevalent in many fields. In the humanities, one discipline stands out for its underrepresentation of women – philosophy. So, why the imbalance? One idea receiving a lot of attention is that subtle forms of prejudice in philosophy departments act to reduce the opportunities for women to advance professionally, and color how people perceive women’s academic credentials. These proposed prejudices include things like unconscious bias, which can affect how someone from a stereotyped minority is perceived, without the explicit awareness of the person assessing them. This could manifest as peers and superiors perceiving women negatively, which might put them at a disadvantage for professional development and advancement. But are there any concrete data to demonstrate that these prejudices are present in philosophy departments, and are the reason for the gender imbalance? Sean Allen-Hermanson, of Florida […]

Psychology

13 Jun 2017

How a girl is raised can influence her adult sporting success

Study shows girls who grow up exposed to traditionally more masculine interests and role models are more likely to have the aggressive desire to succeed at sport. — By Tania Fitzgeorge-Balfour The ability to produce peak performance plays a decisive role in the success of athletes in competitive sport. A desire to be the best is one of the most important traits in a top athlete, but where does this desire come from – are we born with it or is it a learned characteristic? Traditionally, research on female sporting success has focused on biological and genetic differences. A new study, published in the open-access journal, Frontiers in Psychology, instead looks at the motivation level of successful female footballers and whether their upbringing influences this desire to succeed. “We find that at higher competition levels, the more likely it is for female athletes to savour the more aggressive elements of a sporting contest,” says Danie Meyer-Parlapanis, who conducted this research as part of her PhD thesis with Prof. Roland Weierstall, at the University of Konstanz, Germany. “This is particularly the case when they have been raised in less traditional families and have greater engagement with more masculine interests and role models.” […]