Stereotype Threat + Fake Names

You’ve heard about stereotype threat and how it impacts women’s performance on, say, math tests; but did you know that the impact of stereotype threat disappears when women take a math test using a fake name? A research study recently published in Self and Identity asked 110 women and 72 men to answer 30 multiple choice math questions, priming them beforehand by telling them that men typically outperform women. The authors also asked some of the volunteers to take the test under one of four aliases: Jacob Tyler, Scott Lyons, Jessica Peterson, or Kaitlyn Woods.

Hailing the Humanities

Did you know that last year, only 20 percent of Harvard undergraduates majored in the humanities -- compared with 36 percent in 1954? Last week the American Academy’s Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences, responding to a request from Congress, published a report calling for increased recognition and support for the humanities. “The Heart of the Matter” states three goals that, taken by themselves, might be indistinguishable from those found in the 2007 National Academies report, “Rising Above the Gathering Storm,” which called for the United States to increase its focus on STEM education, research, and innovation: educate Americans with 21st-century skills; 2) foster innovation and competitiveness; and prepare leaders for a global, digital society. However, it’s the addendum to those goals that sets the tone for the report: “These goals cannot be achieved by science alone.”

Thanks to all of you who joined us for our "Boulder <3s Women in Tech" event at Boulder Startup Week today! What a great conversation we had about culture, startups, unconscious bias, and getting more women into technology roles - you packed the house and you asked great questions.