Year: 1991
Type: dissertation
Abstract: An examination of the literature on work access to women suggests that in spite of equal rights legislation, bias is still present.What is not clearly demonstrated experimentally is the source and maintaining factors of bias.The general purpose of this thesis was to investigate several sources of bias in job related evaluation.The hypothesis was that people tend to judge others in a similar fashion as they judge themselves.An analogue pen and paper questionnaire was administered to 120 college and university students.The design was 2 x 2 ~3 factorial design (sex of participant, sex of worker, and gender type of the job).The word list was drawn from the Bem Sex Role Inventory and used twice for each participant.First, they were asked to rate how they felt about themselves in respect to each word at that point in time on a five point Likert scale.Second, they were asked to rate a worker who was described doing a job, using the same list.Questions about how much they would pay workers, and themselves were asked, as well as their opinion on the appropriateness of the sex of the person in relationship to the job described.There was a low correlation between how participants evaluated themselves and the workers, and a moderate correlation between how much they would pay the worker and themselves.There were sex differences in how the participants viewed themselves, and in how they assigned wages, but the majority of the significant differences were by the gendertype of the job.When the study was replicated, changing only the job described, similar results were found on an additional sample of 120 college and university students.In both studies, there was strong evidence for direct bias on the basis of Bias in Job Performance Evaluation i v the gendertype of the job.There were however, no three way interactions for the sex of the participant, the sex of the worker, and the gendertype of the job (jobtype).The findings suggest as well that there may be indirect bias.Mechanisms for a possible explanation, such as the availability heuristic are A work of this size always has a long list of people who helped to make it happen.I have been more than ordinarily blessed with people who helped me though, not only this academic exercise, but the series of life changes I went through during the course of the research and writing of this thesis.I can't possibly mention everyone, but I will try.Dr. John Walsh, thank you!It was very difficult for you coming in at the middle and I deeply appreciate all the help and direction you have given me.Your care and attention healed as well as taught me.I especially need to thank Dr. E. Michael Coles, my mentor, for encouraging me all through my undergraduate years as well as helping me on my road toward toward
Source: Summit (Simon Fraser University)
Author: Marie-Therese Fowler
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2280958195