Dejiah Beatty
Pronouns: she/hers/her
Research Mentor(s): Desiree Aleibar
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Psychology / LSA
Program:
Authors: Dejiah Beatty, Desiree Aleibar
Session: Session 2: 10:00 am – 10:50 am
Poster: 18
Abstract
Skin Tone Bias (STB) encompasses preferences, prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination, with implications for both positive and negative consequences associated with darker or lighter skin tones (Adams et al., 2016). In the academic realm, lighter skin has been linked to more favorable evaluations from both superiors and peers. However, the existing body of research exploring STB in higher education has predominantly concentrated on assessments of undergraduate men. A notable research gap persists, specifically in the empirical examination of peer evaluations of undergraduate women contingent upon their skin tone. This current investigation aims to discern whether assessments of an individual’s collaborator in a group project are influenced by the partner’s skin tone. Furthermore, the study seeks to ascertain whether this relationship is contingent upon the perceived masculinity of the academic environment and the perceptions of the partner’s performance quality. College-aged participants (n = 297) were recruited from the online survey administration platform, Prolific, and were tasked with envisioning collaboration with a hypothetical partner on a group presentation about their college major. Participants were told that their partner was tasked with completing the initial draft of the presentation, with the expectation that they would subsequently provide feedback on the work. The manipulation involved varying the skin tone of the hypothetical partner (Lighter Skinned or Darker Skinned) and the extent to which the academic environment was perceived as masculine operationalized through distinct college majors (Mechanical Engineering, Organizational Psychology, Early Childhood & Family Studies). Participants provided evaluations on the first draft of presentation slides purportedly completed by their hypothetical partner, alongside assessments of their partner. Results and implications are discussed.
