The Science of Diversity and the Impact of Implicit Bias
Hannah Valantine, MD
NIH Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity
Use of This Module
• This presentation presents information about scientific workforce diversity and factors that contribute to limiting diversity, including implicit bias
• Viewing this presentation is not a substitute for broader efforts to reduce implicit bias and its negative outcomes on scientific career advancement
• Please contact us with questions: SWDTo[email protected]
Presentation Outline
• Why diversity?
– Diverse is a driving force for excellence and innovation
– Defining diversity – Lack of diversity in science: the evidence
• Hurdles to diversity: Implicit bias
– Pervasiveness of implicit bias – Evidence – Strategies for overcoming bias
Why Diversity Matters
Capitalizing on the Opportunity
• Excellence, creativity, innovation • Broadening scope of inquiry - solutions to complex problems of health and disease
• Impact of workforce diversity on health disparities
• Ensuring fairness
– Changing demographics – Leveraging the entire U.S. intellectual capital
Capturing the Benefits of Diversity
Identity is a Proxy for Cognitive Diversity
*Underrepresented Populations in U.S. Biomedical, Clinical, Behavioral and Social Science Research
Ethnicity*
Nationality*
Gender*
Socioeconomic
Status*
Race*
c
Disability*
Capturing the Benefits of Diversity
Identity is a Proxy for Cognitive Diversity
*Underrepresented Populations in U.S. Biomedical, Clinical, Behavioral and Social Science Research
Thinking
Style
- Language
- Ethnicity*
Religion
- Perspectives
- Experiences
- Nationality*
- Geography
Physical Abilities
Race*
Culture
- Skills
- Gender*
Sexual
Orientation
Socioeconomic
Status*
Disability*
Age
U.S. Women Faculty in Science - 2016
Clinical and Basic Science Departments Combined
U.S. Women Faculty in Science - 2016
Clinical and Basic Science Departments Combined
Lack of Diversity in Biomedical Science Careers
100%
90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10%
0%
- Training
- Early Career
- Tenured Faculty
Women - Underrepresented Men - Underrepresented
Women - Well-represented Men - Well-represented
Population Growth: URM Ph.D. Recipients and Assistant Professors
10
9876
URM Ph.D. URM Asst. Prof.
543210
WR Ph.D. WR Asst. Prof.
1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013
Gibbs, K. D., et al. (2016). Decoupling the minority PhD talent pool and assistant professor hiring in the medical school basic science departments in the US.
URM Pool for Transition into the Biomedical Research Workforce
38% increase
2006-2012
2000-2006
URM Pool for Transition into the Biomedical Research Workforce
• ~10% of all PhD earners, 2006-2012: • ~780 AA/B (~4% of entire pool) • ~950 Hispanic (~5.7% of entire pool) • 30 AI/AN (0.2% of entire pool)
- But numbers matter …
- But numbers matter …
- But numbers matter …
- But numbers matter …
- But numbers matter …
- But numbers matter …
- But numbers matter …
Diversity of Thought:
Driving Force for Innovation
• Cognitive diversity (diversity of thought) increases:
– Creativity – Search for novel information – Search for novel perspectives – Better decision making
• Gender/ethnic identity as proxy for cognitive diversity
Better Problem-solving Results From a Larger
Informational, or Cognitive Space
• Argument: diversity outperforms ability
• Test: hypothetical scenarios reflecting problem solving abilities
• Result: randomly selected participants from applicant pool were better at solving the problem than the highest-scoring individuals
Groups of diverse problem solvers can outperform groups of high-ability problem solvers. PNAS 2004 Nov 16;101(46):16385-9.
Better Problem-solving Results From a Larger
Informational, or Cognitive Space
• Argument: diversity outperforms ability
• Test: hypothetical scenarios reflecting problem solving abilities
• Result: randomly selected participants from applicant pool were better at solving the problem than the highest-scoring individuals
• Diversity enhances:
– Jury Decision Making* – Accurate stock trading predictions**
Groups of diverse problem solvers can outperform groups of high-ability problem solvers. PNAS 2004 Nov 16;101(46):16385-9.
– Publications in higher impact journals
Sommers, S. R. (2006); ** Levine, S. S. (2014 PNAS)
Diversity and Financial Decision Making
Ethnically homogenous financial traders vs. Ethnically heterogeneous financial traders
Stock-trading simulations
Random assignment
Experimental Study
Less able to accurately predict stock prices (33% decline)
More likely to accept inflated prices (that contribute to financial bubble) and when bubbles burst, they crashed more severely
Levine, S. S., Apfelbaum, E. P., Bernard, M., Bartelt, V. L., Zajac, E. J., & Stark, D. (2014). Ethnic diversity deflates price
bubbles. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(52), 18524-18529.
Diversity and Financial Decision Making
Ethnically homogenous financial traders vs. Ethnically heterogeneous financial traders
Stock-trading simulations
Random assignment
“Diversity facilitates friction that enhances deliberation and upends
Experimental Study
Less able to accurately predict stock prices (33% decline)
More likely to accept inflated prices (that contribute to financial bubble) and when bubbles burst, they crashed more severely
conformity.”
Levine, S. S., Apfelbaum, E. P., Bernard, M., Bartelt, V. L., Zajac, E. J., & Stark, D. (2014). Ethnic diversity deflates price
bubbles. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(52), 18524-18529.
Diversity and Jury Decision Making
Black Defendant
Experimental study – randomly assigned
- Racially homogenous jurors
- vs.
- Racially heterogeneous jurors
Diversity and Jury Decision Making
Black Defendant
Experimental study – randomly assigned
- Racially homogenous jurors
- vs.
- Racially heterogeneous jurors
- Measure
- All-White Group
Diverse Group*
50.67
Deliberation length, in minutes # of case facts discussed # of factual inaccuracies
38.49 25.93 7.28
30.48 4.14
# of uncorrected inaccurate statements 2.49
1.36
Wider range of information exchange; in diverse group – whites cited more facts; more discussion; fewer errors
Sommers, S. R. (2006). On racial diversity and group decision making: identifying multiple effects of racial composition on jury
deliberations. Journal of personality and social psychology, 90(4), 597.
Diversity and Quality of Science
• 2.57 million scientific papers between 1985-2008
(authors with U.S. addresses); 11 scientific fields
• Surnames of co-authors – ethnic diversity • Controlled for # authors; population density etc. • Lots of homophilly: association with similar others
Papers written by a diverse groups:
• Receive more citations • Published in journals with higher impact factors
• Similar finding for gender diversity*
Freeman, R. B., & Huang, W. (2014).National Bureau of Economic Research, No. w19905.
* Campbell LG, et al. (2013) Gender-heterogeneous working groups produce higher quality science. PLoS One.
Why the Diversity Effect?
• Simply being exposed to diversity can change the way we think:
• Anticipate differences • Encourage consideration of alternatives • Dissent provokes more thought when it comes from someone who is different from us
• Opinion dissent in diverse groups contributes to novelty and integrative complexity
• Diversity can be a catalyst for change, growth, and innovation
Hurdles to Diversity
• Easy answers have not been sufficient:
– Not lack of talent – Not lack of commitment or interest – Pipeline is usually not a/the problem
• Feelings of isolation, lack a sense of belonging • “A threat in the air”
Wilson, T. (2002). Strangers to Ourselves: Discovering the Adaptive Unconscious.