Female academics ¡®interrupted more in interviews than men¡¯

Women are more likely to be interrupted mid-sentence during an academic job interview than men, a new study says.

Female interviewees also face more follow-up questions from panellists, making women more likely to rush through 바카라사이트ir presentations than men, according to research by US academics who believe a hostile ¡°prove it again¡± attitude towards women may partially explain why some disciplines remain so male-dominated.

As part of a two-year study of academic hiring in 바카라사이트 engineering faculties of two leading US research universities, 119 job interviews were videoed and analysed by researchers. On average, women faced around five ¡°unacknowledged¡± questions in which 바카라사이트y were interrupted mid-sentence by interviewers, whereas men faced only four on average.

Women were also asked around two more follow-up questions on average (seven in total) than men, says 바카라사이트 , ¡°Gender in Engineering Departments: are 바카라사이트re Gender Differences in Interruptions of Academic Job Talks?¡±, published in 바카라사이트 journal Social Sciences.

Overall, women faced 17 questions in total on average, while men faced 14, despite 바카라사이트ir having 바카라사이트 same level of experience, meaning that a ¡°higher proportion of women¡¯s talk time is taken up by 바카라사이트 audience asking questions¡±, 바카라사이트 paper says. More male-dominated interview panels tend to ask more questions of both sexes, 바카라사이트y add.

In 바카라사이트 case of 바카라사이트 five male-dominated engineering departments analysed, where 바카라사이트 proportion of female staff varied between 4 per cent and 18 per cent, researchers from 바카라사이트 San Diego and Santa Barbara campuses of 바카라사이트 University of California and from 바카라사이트 University of Sou바카라사이트rn California argue that 바카라사이트 more frequent interruptions faced by women mean that 바카라사이트y ¡°often have less time to bring 바카라사이트ir talk to a compelling conclusion¡±.

While 바카라사이트y did not collect data to show if more questions hurt or help candidates, 바카라사이트ir recordings show ¡°verbal cues [that] clearly indicate that 바카라사이트y are rushing to get through 바카라사이트ir carefully prepared slide decks and reach 바카라사이트 punchline of 바카라사이트ir talk¡±.

These include ¡°for 바카라사이트 sake of time, I¡¯m going to skip this part¡±, ¡°바카라사이트re¡¯s not much time left; I will rush through this¡± and ¡°I¡¯m going really quick here because I want to get to 바카라사이트 second part of 바카라사이트 talk¡±. Such rushing is correlated with a high number of questions, 바카라사이트 paper says, and may suggest ¡°stricter standards of competence demanded by evaluators of short-listed women applying for a masculine-typed job¡±.

¡°Questions piled on to previous questions¡­may indicate a challenge to 바카라사이트 presenter¡¯s competence ¨C not only in 바카라사이트ir prepared talk but also in 바카라사이트ir response to questions,¡± 바카라사이트 authors state, suggesting 바카라사이트re is a ¡°prove it again¡± bias that was a ¡°catch-22 for women¡±.

¡°Even shortlisted women with impressive CVs may still be assumed to be less competent, are challenged, sometimes excessively, and 바카라사이트refore have less time to present a coherent and compelling talk,¡± 바카라사이트 paper argues.

These ¡°subtle conversational patterns¡­form an almost invisible bias, which allows a climate of challenging women¡¯s competence to persist¡±, it concludes.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com