This week’s BWN Friday Post brings you a preprint from Evava Pietri using the “Picture a Scientist” documentary to examine to what extent can films combat sexism in STEM:

“[The research project] is an innovative collaboration with social scientists to explore the impact of PICTURE A SCIENTIST on viewers’ awareness about bias and discrimination in science and their intentions to take action. In a new preprint, social psychologist Eva Pietri describes some key findings, including showing that the more viewers felt engaged in the film — measured through reported feelings such as empathy, perspective-taking, and anger — the more likely they were to seek information about gender bias and discrimination. And the more viewers sought new information, the more likely they were to increase their awareness of gender bias and to work to address unfair treatment and gender disparities. These results suggest that film can play a powerful role in training to reduce discrimination in the sciences.”

— Wonder Collaborative, Science Communication Lab

Read the preprint here.

You can also find out more about the “Picture a Scientist” documentary here.