Photo by Rhoda Baer
Researchers in the lab
Women may ask fewer questions than men at scientific conferences, according to research published in PLOS ONE.
Researchers studied question-asking behavior at a large international conference and found that men asked 80% more questions than women.
“Previous research has shown that men are more likely to be invited to speak at conferences, which is likely to lead to them having a higher social reputation than their female peers,” said study author Amy Hinsley, PhD, of the University of Oxford in the UK.
“If women feel that they are low-status and have suffered discrimination and bias throughout their career, then they may be less likely to participate in public discussions, which will, in turn, affect their scientific reputation. This negative feedback loop can affect women and men, but the evidence in this study suggests that women are affected more.”
For this study, Dr Hinsley and her colleagues looked at question-asking behavior at the 2015 International Congress for Conservation Biology. The conference had a clear code of conduct for its 2000 attendees, which promoted equality and prohibited discrimination.
The authors observed 31 sessions across the 4-day conference, counting how many questions were asked and whether men or women were asking them.
Accounting for the number of men and women in the audience, men asked 1.8 questions for each question asked by a woman.
The same pattern was observed in younger researchers (1.8 to 1), suggesting it is not simply due to senior researchers, a large proportion of whom are men, asking all the questions.
Dr Hinsley and her colleagues feel this study should be used as an opportunity to raise awareness of the disparity in question-asking behavior between men and women and inspire discussion about why it is happening.
“We want our research to inspire conference organizers to encourage participation among all attendees,” said Alison Johnston, PhD, of Cambridge University in the UK.
“For example, questions over Twitter or other creative solutions could be tested. Session chairs could also be encouraged to pick participants that represent the gender in the audience. However, these patterns of behavior we observed are only a symptom of the bigger issue. Addressing this alone will not solve the problem [of gender inequality].”
“We should continue to research and investigate the underlying causes so we can implement actions that change the bigger picture for women in science. If we are to level the playing field for women in STEM, the complex issue of gender inequality has to stay on the agenda.”
