Why did the Nature Human Behaviour journal reject the proposal to rerun the original experiment?

The researchers believe the journal may have rejected their proposal because the submission reviewers agreed with the original results, which challenged the new findings.

Home / Science / Rerun of Landmark Bias Study Finds Women Favored in Science Hiring

Rerun of Landmark Bias Study Finds Women Favored in Science Hiring

Q: What did the original 2012 study on gender bias in science find?

The original 2012 study found that the applicant named "John" was rated as more competent, hireable, and deserving of a higher salary than the applicant called "Jennifer."

Q: How did the 2025 replication study by Rutgers University researchers differ?

The 2025 study found the opposite - the female applicant was ranked as marginally more capable and appealing to work with, as well as the more hireable of the two, and deemed worthy of a higher salary.

18 Nov

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Summary

Landmark 2012 study on bias against women in science debunked
New study in 2025 finds female applicants ranked as more capable and hireable
Original study cited over 4,600 times, but new findings challenge narrative of women's underrepresentation

Rerun of Landmark Bias Study Finds Women Favored in Science Hiring

In a surprising reversal, a landmark 2012 study on bias against women in science has been debunked by a new study conducted in 2025. The original experiment, which asked 127 science professors to rate identical CVs with different gendered names, found that the applicant named "John" was rated as more competent, hireable, and deserving of a higher salary than the applicant called "Jennifer."

However, a team of researchers from Rutgers University in New Jersey has now replicated the study with nearly 1,300 professors from over 50 American institutions. This time, the female applicant was ranked as marginally more capable and appealing to work with, as well as the more hireable of the two. She was also deemed worthy of a higher salary.