MAT 143 Gender Bias?

Chapter 3 Lab

Learning outcome:

Utilize proportional reasoning to put numbers in perspective and make comparisons.

Utilize Simpsons paradox to show a proper understanding of quantity.

Introduction:

In this lab you are to figure out whether the University of Berkeley exhibited gender bias in its 1973 admissions.

Directions:

In 1973, there was a lawsuit filed against the University of Berkeley, California, for bias against women who applied for admission to graduate school. The accusation was that they admitted a higher percentage of male applicants than female applicants. In this lab you are to figure out whether they should have won or lost this lawsuit. To study this, complete the charts below.

In the first part, you are going to calculate the percent admitted by department to see if there is any gender bias against females. The six largest departments are lettered so that they can remain anonymous and are listed below. Express each as a % rounded to tenths place using the formula below:

Note that: % Admitted= # Admitted# Applicants * 100

Department Women Men #Admitted #Applicants %Admitted #Admitted #Applicants %Admitted

A 89 108 511 825

B 17 25 353 560

C 202 593 120 325

D 131 375 138 417

E 94 393 54 191

F 24 341 16 272

Would the % Admitted data above help support the case against the University of Berkeley? Why or why not?

Now, find the total % Admitted for males and the total % Admitted for females for the top six departments:

Top 6 Departments Total # Admitted Total # Applicants % Admitted Total

Women

Men

Do the total percent admitted numbers for the top 6 departments show gender bias? Why or why not?

This is an example of Simpson's Paradox. In your own words, describe what happened and explain how it's possible. In order to receive full credit, your answer should include at least 3 complete sentences.

Now, you will compare the numbers youve calculated so far to the overall admission numbers for all graduate school departments. Here are those numbers:

Total Graduate #s Total # Admitted Total # Applicants % Admitted Total

Women 1512 4321

Men 3715 8442

Would these numbers support the case against the University of California, Berkeley? Why or why not?

Interesting, huh? Makes you wonder who won the case! Now that youve completed the lab, please return to Canvas to enter your answers. Look under Chapter 3 and be prepared to enter all answers from this lab into the Chapter 3 Lab Entry Answer Sheet.