Dearth by a Thousand Cuts? Accounting for Gender Differences in Top-Ranked Publication Rates in Social Psychology - PubMed (original) (raw)

Dearth by a Thousand Cuts? Accounting for Gender Differences in Top-Ranked Publication Rates in Social Psychology

Mina Cikara et al. J Soc Issues. 2012.

Abstract

Publication in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, a flagship indicator of scientific prestige, shows dramatic gender disparities. A bibliometric analysis included yoked-control authors matched for Ph.D. prestige and cohort. Though women publish less, at slower annual rates, they are more cited in handbooks and textbooks per _JPSP_-article-published. No gender differences emerged on variables reflecting differential qualifications. Many factors explain gender discrepancy in productivity. Among top publishers, per-year rate and first authorship especially differ by gender; rate uniquely predicts top-male productivity, whereas career-length uniquely predicts top-female productivity. Among men, across top-publishers and controls, productivity correlates uniquely with editorial negotiating and being married. For women, no personal variables predict productivity. A separate inquiry shows tiny gender differences in acceptance rates per JPSP article submitted; discrimination would be a small-but-plausible contributor, absent independent indicators of manuscript quality. Recent productivity rates mirror earlier gender disparities, suggesting gender gaps will continue.

Keywords: bibliometric analysis; gender discrimination; social psychology; women in science.

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Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1

Regression analyses testing length and rate of publication in JPSP as mediators of the relationship between author gender and JPSP publications (1965–2004). Coefficients in parentheses reflect a bivariate analysis. A dashed arrow indicates successful mediation. Author gender was coded 2 (male) 1 (female).

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