UCL School of Management welcome Professor Aneeta Rattan, London Business School, to host a research seminar discussing ‘Can Universal-Nonuniversal Mindsets About Potential Mitigate the Negative Effects of Stereotypes’

Abstract

In this talk, I introduce the construct of universal-nonuniversal mindsets about potential. I put forward a theory of mindset-stereotype cognitive (in)consistency, arguing that this dimension of mindsets may uniquely offer opportunities for mitigating the effects of negative stereotypes about underrepresented groups. I offer evidence for this theory from three programs of work, the first two focused on the experiences of targets of prejudice (examining gender and race gaps in belonging, performance, and role model identification) and the third focused on bias expression (examining gender bias in leader evaluation and selection). I discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings for scholarship on mindsets and diversity in organizations.