Interrupting Bias in Academic Settings
What (if anything) would you do or say?

An underrepresented student comes to you and complains that some students have made general demeaning comments related to gender, race, and/or other groups during lab. The student is uncomfortable but doesn’t want you to intervene directly as people might find out who reported it.
Should You Intervene? Some Benefits and Costs:
- There can be benefits and costs to intervening, especially when considering clear status and power differences in relationships. For example, it can be more costly to confront someone more powerful. There might be less cost when intervening with a student than with a professor who outranks you, so different strategies may be needed in these different situations.
- Not intervening can lead to “rumination” (repeatedly reflecting on and regretting the inaction), which can have physical, emotional, and job-related effects for bystanders.
- Benefits of intervening include reducing the harm experienced, reducing future bias, promoting equity, shifting norms, and increasing the bystander’s self-esteem and positive affect.
Want to learn more about what makes these statements problematic?
Check out the critical listening guide for a social science perspective.