Multicultural and Colorblind Ideology, Stereotypes, and Ethnocentrism among Black and White Americans

We examined Blacks’ and Whites’ perceptions of group variability and positivity as well as their beliefs about the extent to which multiculturalism and colorblindness would improve intergroup relations. In two studies, responses to questionnaires indicated that the tendency to endorse multiculturalism more than colorblindness was greater among Blacks than Whites; Blacks consistently endorsed multiculturalism more than colorblindness and Whites endorsed colorblindness more than did Blacks. Both studies also revealed evidence of out-group homogeneity and ethnocentrism. Stronger endorsement of multiculturalism relative to colorblindness predicted stronger stereotypes among Blacks, whereas stronger endorsement of colorblindness relative to multiculturalism predicted stronger stereotypes among Whites. In Study 2, stronger endorsement of multiculturalism relative to colorblindness predicted less ethnocentrism; this relationship did not depend on ethnicity

Multicultural and Colorblind Ideology, Stereotypes, and Ethnocentrism among Black and White Americans

We examined Blacks' and Whites' perceptions of group variability and positivity as well as their beliefs about the extent to which multiculturalism and colorblindness would improve intergroup relations. In two studies, responses to questionnaires indicated that the tendency to endorse multiculturalism more than colorblindness was greater among Blacks than Whites; Blacks consistently endorsed multiculturalism more than colorblindness and Whites endorsed colorblindness more than did Blacks. Both studies also revealed evidence of out-group homogeneity and ethnocentrism. Stronger endorsement of multiculturalism relative to colorblindness predicted stronger stereotypes among Blacks, whereas stronger endorsement of colorblindness relative to multiculturalism predicted stronger stereotypes among Whites. In Study 2, stronger endorsement of multiculturalism relative to colorblindness predicted less ethnocentrism; this relationship did not depend on ethnicity

Implicit Gender Bias, Engagement, and Protective Factors in STEM Faculty

The present study assessed implicit gender bias and job engagement among STEM faculty at a mid-size liberal arts university. Forty-nine faculty in each of the departments of natural and social sciences were assessed for implicit gender bias and job engagement. We found that men had greater implicit gender bias than women in the natural sciences. In addition, women in natural science departments felt marginally less engaged than women in social science departments. Women’s disengagement was positively associated with imposter phenomenon and perceived lack of control in departmental decisions. However, women who actively participated in a women’s organization or had an advocate had more positive psychological outcomes. These findings suggest that although women STEM faculty, particularly in the natural sciences, experience challenges, support provided by women’s organizations or advocates may be an important strategy to reduce the effects of these challenges

An enhanced functional ability questionnaire (faVIQ) to measure the impact of rehabilitation services on the visually impaired

AIM To develop a short, enhanced functional ability Quality of Vision (faVIQ) instrument based on previous questionnaires employing comprehensive modern statistical techniques to ensure the use of an appropriate response scale, items and scoring of the visual related difficulties experienced by patients with visual impairment. METHODS Items in current quality-of-life questionnaires for the visually impaired were refined by a multi-professional group and visually impaired focus groups. The resulting 76 items were completed by 293 visually impaired patients with stable vision on two occasions separated by a month. The faVIQ scores of 75 patients with no ocular pathology were compared to 75 age and gender matched patients with visual im pairm ent. RESULTS Rasch analysis reduced the faVIQ items to 27. Correlation to standard visual metrics was moderate (r=0.32-0.46) and to the NEI-VFQ was 0.48. The faVIQ was able to clearly discriminate between age and gender matched populations with no ocular pathology and visual impairment with an index of 0.983 and 95% sensitivity and 95% specificity using a cut off of 29. CONCLUSION The faVIQ allows sensitive assessm ent of quality-of-life in the visually im paired and should support studies which evaluate the effectiveness of low vision rehabilitation services. © Copyright International Journal of Ophthalmology Press

Polysaccharide-derived mesoporous materials (Starbon®) for sustainable separation of complex mixtures

The recovery and separation of high value and low volume extractives are a considerable challenge for the commercial realisation of zero-waste biorefineries. Using solid-phase extractions (SPE) based on sustainable sorbents is a promising method to enable efficient, green and selective separation of these complex extractive mixtures. Mesoporous carbonaceous solids derived from renewable polysaccharides are ideal stationary phases due to their tuneable functionality and surface structure. In this study, the structure-separation relationships of thirteen polysaccharide-derived mesoporous materials and two modified types as sorbents for ten naturally-occurring bioactive phenolic compounds were investigated. For the first time, a comprehensive statistical analysis of the key molecular and surface properties influencing the recovery of these species was carried out. The obtained results show the possibility of developing tailored materials for purification, separation or extraction, depending on the molecular composition of the analyte. The wide versatility and application span of these polysaccharide-derived mesoporous materials offer new sustainable and inexpensive alternatives to traditional silica-based stationary phases