Date of Award
January 2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Alison Kelly
Abstract
Disparities exist between men and women in academia at the faculty and student level. Academically, women are judged as being weaker and inferior, and many describe experiences of sexism, often within the classroom setting. Few studies have investigated the impact of an instructor confronting sexism in the classroom. The current study examined the effects of an instructor’s gender, student’s gender, and instructor’s confrontation decision on students’ perceptions of the instructor, classroom environment, and the moderating effect of self-reported sexism. Participants read one of four vignettes describing an act of sexism in the classroom where a male (or female) instructor confronts (or ignores) a sexist comment from another student during a classroom discussion. Participants reported their perceptions of the instructor, classroom environment, and their level of self-reported sexism. Results indicated that students generally viewed an instructor's confrontation of sexism positively, though this relationship was moderated by the student’s level of sexism.
Recommended Citation
Hamilton, Mary, "Gender-Based Perceptions Of Confronting Prejudice In The Classroom" (2025). Theses and Dissertations. 7112.
https://commons.und.edu/theses/7112