ERIC Number: EJ1341160
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Apr
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-2381-473X
Available Date: N/A
Do No Harm: Graduate Admissions Letters of Recommendation and Unconscious Bias
Brandi L. Newkirk-Turner; Thomas K. Hudson
Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, v7 n2 p463-475 Apr 2022
Purpose: Faculty members commonly write letters of recommendation (LOR) for students. Although letters can be helpful, they may do more harm if they include language that can negatively bias readers. The purpose of this article is to examine LORs written for Black applicants to speech-language pathology graduate programs for the presence of phrases that may bias readers (PBRs). Method: Using data from our program, we analyzed LORs for evidence of bias. Results: Across the 161 LORs, there were 202 instances of PBRs. The most PBRs were grindstone adjectives and doubt raisers/hedges. PBRs were not related to applicants' GPA, undergraduate institution type, or LOR word length. PBRs were related to admission offers. Conclusions: Results suggest a negative impact of PBRs in LORs written for Black applicants. Implications are discussed and recommendations for writing less-biased LORs are provided.
Descriptors: Letters (Correspondence), College Admission, Graduate Study, College Faculty, African American Students, Racial Bias, Speech Language Pathology, Language Usage
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. 2200 Research Blvd #250, Rockville, MD 20850. Tel: 800-638-8255; Fax: 301-296-8580; e-mail: perspectives@asha.org; https://perspectives.pubs.asha.org/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Department of Education (ED)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: H325K140405
Author Affiliations: N/A