Abstract
Christians are notably underrepresented in science in part due to long-standing public perceptions of science-religion incompatibility and antireligious bias in science. This research explores whether undergraduates at a Christian university perceive and impose anti-Christian cultural stigma in science. Survey results from 126 biology students revealed that though students generally perceived the culture of science to be anti-Christian, they perceived Christians to have equal opportunities for scientific achievement. Results from a quasi-experimental audit study, in which students evaluated one of two profiles for mock prospective Ph.D. applicants (Christian or undisclosed faith) showed that students did not project anti-Christian stereotypes in terms of competence, hireability, or likeability, but showed some evidence of pro-Christian favorability. Together, this study suggests that the affirmational community of a Christian University may alleviate some negative impacts of anti-Christian stereotypes in academic biology, even as students perceive discrimination against Christians in science and atheists as more scientifically competent.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 184-202 |
Number of pages | 19 |
Journal | Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion |
Volume | 62 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 2023 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Christianity
- bias
- biology
- religiosity
- science
- stereotype threat
- undergraduate
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Religious studies