RUI, SBP, Collaborative Research: Exploring the unique effects of shared past adversity for enhancing social connection and identify-safety in STEM

代表对提高学生对STEM的兴趣和归属感很重要。研究还没有明确地确定哪些人可以代表不同的学生群体？哪些科学家作为榜样来激发学生对STEM的参与？一个科学家要成为一个榜样，重要的是让学生们觉得自己和那个科学家很相似，而学生们经常觉得自己和一个身份匹配的人很相似，比如女学生眼中的女科学家，或者黑人学生眼中的黑人科学家。然而，对于拥有多重重要身份（即黑人、女性和STEM）的黑人女学生来说，谁将成为他们的榜样还不太清楚。这项研究将测试一个预测，即当黑人女学生认为科学家有类似的歧视经历（即面临类似类型的种族主义或性别歧视）时，她们会感到与科学家相似。这是一个需要探索的关键问题，因为黑人女性在STEM领域的代表性严重不足，因此，目前的工作旨在为在这些领域招募和留住黑人女性提供实用的技术。这项研究测试了黑人女性的代表性是如何以及何时起作用的。本研究将测试情境如何影响对不同角色榜样类型的认同。这项研究对比了由于一个人的身份（即种族或性别）而遭遇类似的偏见与共同的斗争是否更有利于培养与潜在榜样的相似感。这项研究验证了一个假设，即在大多数情况下，黑人女性的种族因素往往比性别因素更为突出。因此，黑人女性更有可能觉得与她们种族相匹配的科学家比与她们性别相匹配的科学家更相似，因为种族主义持续渗透着美国社会。也就是说，主要的假设是，黑人女性会相信，与白人女科学家相比，黑人科学家有更多类似的歧视经历。然而，语境很重要。在女性人数特别少的STEM领域，白人女科学家可能会成为黑人女学生的榜样。最后，我们将调查黑人女学生何时以及为什么会认同同样面临种族歧视的拉丁裔男性科学家。这三项研究都将考察与科学家感觉相似的重要结果，包括归属感、信心、兴趣和对STEM的参与。这项研究对扩大学生在STEM领域的参与和身份模型有直接的应用。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Representation matters for promoting students’ interest and belonging in STEM. Research has not clearly identified who counts as representation for different groups of students? Which scientists act as role models to spark students’ engagement with STEM? For a scientist to be a role model, it is important that students feel similar to that scientist, and students often feel similar to a person who has a matching identity, such as a female scientist for female students or a Black scientist for Black students. It is less clear, however, who would be a role model for Black female students who have multiple important identities (i.e. both Black, female, and STEM). This research will test the prediction that Black female students feel similar to scientists when they believe the scientist has had comparable experiences with discrimination (i.e., has faced similar types of racism or sexism). This is a critical question to explore because Black women are severely underrepresented in STEM, and as a result, the current work aims to provide practical techniques for recruiting and retaining Black women in these fields. This research tests how and when representation matters for Black women.This research will test how the context influences identification with various role-model types. This research contrasts whether having similar encounters with bias due to one’s identity (i.e., race or gender) versus having a common struggle is better for fostering feelings of similarity with a potential role model. The research tests the hypothesis that race tends to be more salient than gender in most situations for Black women. Thus, Black women are more likely to feel similar to a scientist matching their race than their gender because of the continuing racism permeating US society. That is, the primary hypothesis is that Black women will believe that a Black scientist has had more similar experiences with discrimination when compared to a White female scientist. However, context matters. In STEM fields where women are particularly under-represented, White female scientists may act as role models for Black women majors. Finally, we will investigate when and why Black female students might identify with a Latino male scientist who also faces race-based discrimination. All three studies will examine important outcomes related to feeling similar to the scientist including belonging, confidence, interest, and engagement in STEM. This research has direct applications to broadening participation for students in STEM fields and to models of identity.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.