A German study confirms what we’ve all suspected and what anyone who has ever taught knows. Teachers, school systems, parents and students will at some point have to deal with bias.
The study suggests that teachers make more positive “global” assessment of students that are similar to their own personalities. A shy teacher might view a shy student more positively than an outgoing one, for example. This trend breaks down with more specific tasks. It makes sense in that the more specific the task, the more concrete and measurable the assessment. However, for teachers and their general impressions, this research suggests there is bias in favor of students with like personalities.
Apart from the problem of dealing with bias in the classroom, you also might wonder where else similar biases might be present. It seems natural there would be implications from this study that affect other parts of life. In the boardroom? Within families? Does an analytical father have a special place in his heart for the analytical child over his sibling, the dreamer? Where else might we need to be more aware of such biases?
Folk wisdom says that opposites attract, but in real life, is that so? This and other studies suggest that, in fact, “likes attract”, especially in long-term relationships. And it makes sense. Those who are not like us challenge our comfort zone and can disrupt the life our personalities prefer.
This study suggests that teachers are not immune to favoring their little biological mirrors in the classrooms who reflect their own personalities. It will be interesting to see how such biases play out in some of life’s other arenas.
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