A randomised trial of the influence of racial stereotype bias on examiners’ scores, feedback and recollections in undergraduate clinical exams

Yeates

doi:10.1186/s12916-017-0943-0

A randomised trial of the influence of racial stereotype bias on examiners’ scores, feedback and recollections in undergraduate clinical exams

Yeates

Authors

Peter Yeates p.yeates@keele.ac.uk

Abstract

Asian medical students and doctors receive lower scores on average than their white counterparts in examinations in the UK and internationally (a phenomenon known as “differential attainment”). This could be due to examiner bias or to social, psychological or cultural influences on learning or performance. We investigated whether students’ scores or feedback show influence of ethnicity-related bias; whether examiners unconsciously bring to mind (activate) stereotypes when judging Asian students’ performance; whether activation depends on the stereotypicality of students’ performances; and whether stereotypes influence examiner memories of performances.

Acceptance Date	Sep 11, 2017
Publication Date	Oct 25, 2017
Journal	BMC Medicine
Publisher	Springer Verlag
Pages	179 -?
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-017-0943-0
Keywords	medical education, assessment, differential attainment, ethnicity, stereotypes
Publisher URL	http://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-017-0943-0