Rebecca Bigler
Professor Emeritus — Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University
E-mail: rebeccabigler28@gmail.com
Campus Mail Code: A8000
Social cognition in children, gender role development, and racial stereotyping
Rebecca S. Bigler joined the faculty at The University of Texas at Austin in the fall of 1991. Ze retired from hir position as Professor of Psychology and Women's and Gender Studies in 2018. Ze received a B.A. from Oberlin College and Ph.D. from The Pennsylvania State University.
Ze studies the causes and consequences of social stereotyping and prejudice among children, with a particular focus on gender and racial attitudes. Ze has worked to develop and test intervention strategies aimed at reducing children's social stereotyping and intergroup biases. Hir work has appeared in prestigious journals (Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, Developmental Psychology, Child Development, American Psychologist, Science) and has been covered by major media outlets (Newsweek, NBC Dateline). Hir work has been supported by Teaching Tolerance and the National Science Foundation. Ze is a supporter of gender neutral language.
PSY 394S • Current Topics In Devel Psy
Meets M 12:00PM-3:00PM SEA 1.332
Seminars in Developmental Psychology. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.
UGS 303 • Diff Dialog: Gender/Media/Huma
Meets TTH 11:00AM-12:30PM NOA 1.124
WGS 392 • Rsch Meths Smnr Wom'S/Gend Std
Meets TH 9:30AM-12:30PM UTC 1.136
This course is designed to prepare graduate students in gender studies and the qualitative social sciences to conduct a research project for their master's theses or similar projects. We will explore a range of research methods and traditions as well as the epistemological assumptions underlying them. We will consider what it means to conduct "feminist" research, as well as the perils and promise of the more participatory research traditions. Some of the research methods we will explore include interviewing, survey research, case studies, textual analysis, and participant observation.
PSY 394S • Stereotyp/Prejudc Among Child
Meets M 6:00PM-9:00PM SEA 1.332
(also listed as WGS 393)
UGS 303 • Gender Dev/Media/Human Rights
64200-64205 • Fall 2011
Meets MW 2:00PM-3:00PM WAG 201
Meets F 12:00PM-3:00PM SEA 1.332
PSY 398T • Supervised Teaching In Psy
Meets TH 9:30AM-12:30PM SEA 5.106
Teaching under close supervision of course instructor for two semesters; weekly meetings of two to four hours during the semester; individual consultation and reports throughout the teaching period. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Offered on the credit/no credit basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and appointment as a teaching assistant.
UGS 303 • Diff Dialog:gend/Racial Attuds
Meets TTH 2:00PM-3:30PM SEA 3.250
Supervised Teaching in Psychology. Teaching under close supervision of course instructor for two semesters; weekly meetings of two to four hours during the semester; individual consultation and reports throughout the teaching period. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Offered on the credit/no credit basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and appointment as a teaching assistant.
PSY 394S • Fundmntls Of Devel Psychology
PSY 365G • Gender And Racial Attitudes-W
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM SEA 3.250
Advanced introduction to the psychological study of gender and racial attitudes in children and adults, with emphasis on the causes, consequences, and revision of an individual's gender and racial stereotypes. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Psychology 341K (Topic: Gender and Racial Attitudes) and 365G may not both be counted. Prerequisite: For psychology majors, upper-division standing and Psychology 301 and 418 with a grade of at least C in each; for nonmajors, upper-division standing, Psychology 301 with a grade of at least C, and one of the following with a grade of at least C: Biology 318M, Civil Engineering 311S, Economics 329, Educational Psychology 371, Government 350K, Mathematics 316, Psychology 317, Sociology 317L, Social Work 318, Statistics 309.
PSY 304 • Intro To Child Psychology
Meets TTH 2:00PM-3:30PM BUR 112
General introduction to physical, social, and cognitive development from conception onward. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Psychology 304 and 333D may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Psychology 301 with a grade of at least C.
Meets TTH 3:30PM-5:00PM PMA 4.102
PSY 394S • Chldrn Racial/Gend Schemata
Meets F 9:00AM-12:00PM SEA 5.106
PSY 333D • Intro To Developmental Psych
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM NOA 1.102
Physical, social, and cognitive development in humans. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Psychology 304 and 333D may not both be counted. Psychology 333D and Women's and Gender Studies 345 (Topic 6: Introduction to Developmental Psychology) may not both be counted. Prerequisite: For psychology majors, upper-division standing and Psychology 301 and 418 with a grade of at least C in each; for nonmajors, upper-division standing, Psychology 301 with a grade of at least C, and one of the following with a grade of at least C: Biology 318M, Civil Engineering 311S, Economics 329, Educational Psychology 371, Electrical Engineering 351K, Government 350K, Mathematics 316, 362K, Mechanical Engineering 335, Psychology 317, Sociology 317L, Social Work 318, Statistics 309, Statistics and Scientific Computation 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 318.
Meets TTH 2:00PM-3:30PM NOA 1.116
PSY 394S • Fundmntls Of Socl & Pers Devel
PSY 341K • Gender And Racial Attitudes-W
This lecture course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the process of braindevelopment from embryogenesis through adulthood with emphasis on the role of the environment in directing this process. Initial lectures will focus on the origins of the central nervous system, including topics such as the organization of the brain, neurogenesis, cellular differentiation, migration and targeting of neurons, synapse formation and refinement of the nervous system. In the second half of the course, lectures will focus on the infant brain and the role of experiences during infancy in modifying brain function. Topics will also include recent advances in our understanding of the role of gene-environment interactions and epigenetic programming and shaping brain development. Finally, the adaptive vs. maladaptive outcomes of environmental modifications to the nervous system will be discussed. Throughout the course, students will be guided through examples of how changes in the developing nervous system lead to behavioral patterns both in infancy and adulthood.
Meets TTH 11:00AM-12:30PM WCH 1.120
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM CPE 2.208
Meets TTH 11:00AM-12:30PM SEA 2.108
PSY 394S • Gender And Race
Meets T 6:00PM-9:00PM SEA 5.250
Meets MWF 11:00AM-12:00PM NOA 1.124
SB	(also listed as WGS 301)
PSY 304 • Intro To Child Psychology-Hon
Meets MWF 10:00AM-11:00AM NOA 1.102
Meets MWF 3:00PM-4:00PM ART 1.102
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM PMA 6.112
PSY 333D • Intro To Developmental Psy
Meets TTH 9:30AM-11:00AM BUR 212
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM MEZ 202
Meets TTH 9:30AM-11:00AM UTC 3.104
Meets W 1:00PM-4:00PM BEN 422
Meets TTH 9:30AM-11:00AM BAT 7
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM GAR 301
Meets F 3:30PM-6:30PM LAC 2.110D
Meets TTH 8:00AM-9:30AM UTC 2.112A
Today's Parent. Toub, M. How Not to Raise a Sexist Pig. November 1, 2017. Retrieved from: https://www.todaysparent.com/family/parenting/how-not-to-raise-a-sexist-pig/
Mogul. Thorn, E. R. Leadership in America: Where are the Women? November 2, 2017. Retrieved from:https://onmogul.com/stories/leadership-in-america-where-are-the-women
Slate. Moyer, M. W. Sexism Starts in Childhood. November 6, 2017. Retrieved from: http://www.slate.com/articles/life/the_kids/2017/11/how_to_stop_sexism_and_raise_a_son_who_respects_women.html
KPPC, Southern California Public Radio, Take Two, Alex Cohen. Single-sex schools are unproven as a benefit. January 15, 2016. Listen at: http://www.scpr.org/programs/take-two/2016/01/15/45957/single-sex-schools-are-unproven-as-a-benefit/
The Chronicle of Higher Education. Lucy Ferriss. Making categories, breaking categories. March 13, 2016. Available at: http://chronicle.com/blogs/linguafranca/2016/03/13/making-categories-breaking-categories/
Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University. Gendered language and sexist thought. Invited paper presented in Ways with words: Exploring language and gender. March, 2016. Available at:
https://www.radcliffe.harvard.edu/video/ways-words-beyond-binaries
Hogg Blog—Hogg Foundation for Mental Health | Into the Fold, Episode 12: Rebecca Bigler on Internalized Sexualization in Adolescent Girls June 25, 2015
Parents Magazine | Raise a Respectful Child June 2015 issue
Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) News | No Girls Allowed: The Single-Sex School Debate Summer 2015 issue
Huffington Post Live |Are there benefits to single-sex colleges? March 24, 2015
KUT-Austin |Q & A: The Pros and Cons of Single Sex Education Dec. 22, 2014
BuzzFeed News |Austin Thinks It Can Save Poor Kids By Separating Boys And Girls
The New York Times | Talking About Racism With White Kids
The New York Times |Old Tactic Gets New Use: Public Schools Separate Girls and Boys
Christian Science Monitor | Sexy Halloween Costumes for Girls? Study Backs up Concerned Parents
Michigan Public Radio | What You Can Learn About Prejudice by Putting Kids in Different Colored Shirts
USA Today | Women's Colleges Struggle to Keep Identity and Enrollment Aug. 17, 2012
KVUE News | AISD could open all-girls, all-boys schools Nov. 8, 2011
KAZI 88.7 FM | Talk Time with Richard Smith Oct. 23, 2011
KAZI 88.7 FM | The Wakeup Call with Richard Smith Oct. 21, 2011
KTBC/Fox 7 News | Are Sex-Segregated Schools Effective? Oct. 11, 2011
KXAN News | UT Study on Single-Sex Education Oct. 9, 2011
Good Day Austin, Morning Show, Fox News | AISD and Single-Sex Campuses
KUT-Austin | Austin School Board to Debate Single-Sex Schools Tonight
Austin American Statesmen | Girls Schools Like Ann Richards Scrutinized In Academic Paper Oct. 7, 2011
Dateline NBC | Are Purses Just for Girls? March 2011
Newsweek | "Is Your Baby Racist?" Sept. 14, 2009
Former Graduate Students
Christia Spears Brown (Ph.D. 2003)
Dr. Brown is currently Professor of Psychology at the University of Kentucky. She studies social stereotyping and prejudice, children's perceptions of discrimination, and the development of ethnic identity. She is also interested in the experiences of immigrant children and interventions designed to reduce stereotyping and prejudice. For more information, visit http://web.mac.com/christiabrown/Lab/Home.html
Erica S. Weisgram (Ph.D. 2006)
Dr. Weisgram is currently Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin Steven's Point. Her work examines the role of gender and gender-related cognitions (e.g., stereotypes, beliefs, values) in shaping children's personal interests, including toy preferences, academic interests, and occupational goals. She also studies girls' and women's interest in nontraditional (e.g., STEM) occupations. For more information, visit http://www.uwsp.edu/psych/Pages/faculty/eWeisgram.aspx
Meagan Patterson (Ph.D. 2007)
Dr. Patterson is currently Associate Professor of Psychology and Research in Education at the University of Kansas. Her research focuses on the roles of environmental and organismic factors in the formation of intergroup attitudes. She examines children's integration of views of the self and social groups, and its consequences for developmental outcomes (identity, peer relations, interests). For more information, visit http://www.soe.ku.edu/faculty-staff/meagan-patterson.shtml
Julie Milligan Hughes (Ph.D. 2008)
Dr. Hughes is currently Associate Professor of Psychology at The College of New Jersey. Her work examines children's and adolescents' knowledge, attitudes, and reasoning about race, especially racial discrimination and inequality. She also examines predictors of individuals' views of race-related educational and legal policies. Her dissertation was awarded the Annette Urso Rickel Award for Dissertation in Public Policy. For more information, visit http://padlab.pages.tcnj.edu/
Erin Pahlke (Ph.D. 2009)
Dr. Pahlke is currently Assistant Professor of Psychology at Whitman College. Her work addresses three broad questions: (1) How do children and adolescents form their views of race and gender? (2) What are the consequences of children's and adolescents' views of race and gender? and (3) What is the impact of experiences with racial and gender diversity on youth's academic and socio-emotional outcomes? For more information, visit http://www.whitman.edu/content/psychology/people/faculty/pahlke
Amy Roberson Hayes (Ph. D. 2014)
Dr. Hayes is currently Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Texas at Tyler. Her work examines the development of social stereotyping and prejudice, specifically as it relates to attitudes about gender and race. More specifically, her research focuses on how the development of stereotypes affects educational and occupational outcomes (e.g., occupational goals, academic interests, school performance, career development) throughout the lifespan for disadvantaged groups and underrepresented minorities.
Bigler, R. S., & Leaper, C. (2015). Gendered language: Psychological principles, evolving practices, and inclusive policies. Policy Insights from Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 2, 187-194. DOI: 10.1177/2372732215600452
Hayes, A. R., & Bigler, R. S. (2015). Postbaccalaureate STEM students' perceptions of their training: Exploring the intersection of gender and nativity. International Journal of Gender, Science and Technology, 7, 180-204.
Bigler, R. S., Rohrbach, J. M., & Sanchez, K. L. (2016). Children's intergroup relations and attitudes. In S. Horn, M. Ruck, and L. S. Liben, (Eds.) Equity and justice in developmental science (Volume 2): Implications for young people, families, and communities. In J. Benson (Series Ed.), Advances in Child Development and Behavior (Vol. 51, pp. 131-169). San Diego, CA: Elsevier.
McKenney, S. & Bigler, R. S. (2016). Internalized sexualization and its relation to sexualized appearance, body surveillance, and body shame among early adolescent girls. Journal of Early Adolescence, 36, 171-197. DOI: 10.1177/0272431614556889
McKenney, S. & Bigler, R. S. (2016). High heels, low grades: Internalized sexualization and academic orientation among adolescent girls. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 26, 30-36. DOI: 10.1111/jora.12179
Liben, L. S., & Bigler, R. S. (2017). Understanding and undermining the development of gender dichotomies: The legacy of Sandra Lipsitz Bem. Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, 76, 544-555. DOI: 10.1007/s11199-015-0519-4
Bigler, R. S. (2017). Blazing and illuminating a trail: The career and scholarship of Janet Taylor Spence. Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, 77, 734-742. DOI: 10.1007/s11199-017-0837-9
Patterson, M. M., & Bigler, R. S. (2018). Effects of consistency between self and ingroup on children's views of self, groups, and abilities. Social Development, 27, 154-171. DOI: 10.1111/sode.12255
Hayes, A. R., Bigler, R. S., & Weisgram, E. (2018). Of men and money: Characteristics of occupations that affect the gender differentiation of children's occupational interests. Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, 78, 775-788.DOI 10.1007/s11199-017-0846-8
Pahlke, E., Bigler, R. S., & Patterson, M. M. (2018). Gender-related attitudes and beliefs predict women's views of candidates in the 2016 United States Presidential election. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy. Advance online publication. DOI: 10.1111/asap.12148
Hyde, J. S., Bigler, R. S., Joel, D., Tate, C., & van Anders, S. (2018). The future of sex and gender in psychology: Five challenges to the gender binary. American Psychologist. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/amp0000307
Children's Research Lab