Made-up Male Candidates "More Qualified" Than Made-up Female Candidates

Via Sociological Images, researchers asked a sample of 127 science faculty in their fields to rate two candidates for a lab manager job position. The candidates' application materials were exactly the same, except half the materials were associated with the name "Jennifer" and the other half were associated with the name "John."

Guess which "candidate" was seen as more qualified and was offered a higher salary?

"John."

Natch.

I think it's also important to point out here that the professors did not express hostility toward or dislike of the female "candidate," but rather they seemed motivated by implicit or unconscious biases against female scientists. This finding cuts to the core of how people can be sexist (or racist, homophobic, or otherwise bigoted) even if they have good intentions, think of themselves as nice people, and expressly like people of the group they are sexist against.

This type of sexism is, perhaps, the most difficult to combat and one of the more difficult of the male privileges for many to see.