Rebecca Bigler
Professor Emeritus — Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University
Professor Emerita

Contact
- E-mail: rebeccabigler28@gmail.com
- Phone: (512) 415-4297
- Campus Mail Code: A8000
Interests
Social cognition in children, gender role development, and racial stereotyping
Biography
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.
Courses
PSY 394S • Current Topics In Devel Psy
42895 • Spring 2015
Meets M 12:00PM-3:00PM SEA 1.332
UGS 303 • Diff Dialog: Gender/Media/Huma
65425 • Fall 2013
Meets TTH 11:00AM-12:30PM NOA 1.124
Wr
WGS 392 • Rsch Meths Smnr Wom'S/Gend Std
47490 • Spring 2013
Meets TH 9:30AM-12:30PM UTC 1.136
PSY 394S • Stereotyp/Prejudc Among Child
43485 • Spring 2012
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
Wr
PSY 394S • Current Topics In Devel Psy
44005 • Spring 2011
Meets F 12:00PM-3:00PM SEA 1.332
PSY 398T • Supervised Teaching In Psy
44085 • Spring 2011
Meets TH 9:30AM-12:30PM SEA 5.106
UGS 303 • Diff Dialog:gend/Racial Attuds
63685 • Fall 2010
Meets TTH 2:00PM-3:30PM SEA 3.250
PSY 394S • Current Topics In Devel Psy
44160 • Spring 2010
Meets F 12:00PM-3:00PM SEA 1.332
PSY 398T • Supervised Teaching In Psy
44230 • Spring 2010
Meets TH 9:30AM-12:30PM SEA 5.106
PSY 394S • Fundmntls Of Devel Psychology
44317 • Fall 2009
Meets M 6:30PM-9:30PM SEA 3.250
PSY 365G • Gender And Racial Attitudes-W
43265 • Spring 2009
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM SEA 3.250
C2
PSY 398T • Supervised Teaching In Psy
43485 • Spring 2009
Meets TH 9:30AM-12:30PM SEA 5.106
PSY 304 • Intro To Child Psychology
44060 • Fall 2008
Meets TTH 2:00PM-3:30PM BUR 112
SB
PSY 304 • Intro To Child Psychology
44915 • Fall 2007
Meets TTH 3:30PM-5:00PM PMA 4.102
SB
PSY 394S • Chldrn Racial/Gend Schemata
43940 • Spring 2007
Meets M 2:00PM-5:00PM SEA 1.332
PSY 394S • Current Topics In Devel Psy
43270 • Spring 2006
Meets F 9:00AM-12:00PM SEA 5.106
PSY 333D • Intro To Developmental Psych
42965 • Fall 2005
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM NOA 1.102
PSY 333D • Intro To Developmental Psych
42970 • Fall 2005
Meets TTH 2:00PM-3:30PM NOA 1.116
PSY 394S • Fundmntls Of Socl & Pers Devel
41760 • Spring 2005
Meets M 1:00PM-4:00PM SEA 2.108
PSY 394S • Current Topics In Devel Psy
41765 • Spring 2005
Meets F 9:00AM-12:00PM SEA 5.106
PSY 341K • Gender And Racial Attitudes-W
42587 • Fall 2004
Meets TTH 2:00PM-3:30PM NOA 1.116
C2
PSY 304 • Intro To Child Psychology
39845 • Spring 2004
Meets TTH 11:00AM-12:30PM WCH 1.120
SB
PSY 304 • Intro To Child Psychology
39850 • Spring 2004
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM CPE 2.208
SB
PSY 341K • Gender And Racial Attitudes-W
41135 • Fall 2003
Meets TTH 11:00AM-12:30PM SEA 2.108
C2
PSY 394S • Gender And Race
41360 • Fall 2003
Meets T 6:00PM-9:00PM SEA 5.250
PSY 304 • Intro To Child Psychology
40075 • Spring 2003
Meets MWF 11:00AM-12:00PM NOA 1.124
SB
(also listed as WGS 301)
PSY 304 • Intro To Child Psychology-Hon
40080 • Spring 2003
Meets MWF 10:00AM-11:00AM NOA 1.102
SB
PSY 304 • Intro To Child Psychology
40750 • Fall 2002
Meets MWF 3:00PM-4:00PM ART 1.102
SB
(also listed as WGS 301)
PSY 341K • Gender And Racial Attitudes-W
40925 • Fall 2002
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM PMA 6.112
C2
PSY 333D • Intro To Developmental Psy
40065 • Spring 2002
Meets TTH 9:30AM-11:00AM BUR 212
PSY 341K • Gender And Racial Attitudes-W
40125 • Spring 2002
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM MEZ 202
C2
PSY 333D • Intro To Developmental Psy
41090 • Fall 2001
Meets TTH 9:30AM-11:00AM UTC 3.104
PSY 394S • Chldrn Racial/Gend Schemata
41336 • Fall 2001
Meets W 1:00PM-4:00PM BEN 422
PSY 304 • Intro To Child Psychology
39730 • Spring 2001
Meets TTH 9:30AM-11:00AM BAT 7
SB
PSY 341K • Gender And Racial Attitudes-W
39915 • Spring 2001
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM MEZ 202
C2
PSY 341K • Gender And Racial Attitudes-W
40835 • Fall 2000
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM GAR 301
C2
PSY 394S • Current Topics In Devel Psy
41110 • Fall 2000
Meets F 3:30PM-6:30PM LAC 2.110D
PSY 304 • Intro To Child Psychology
39120 • Spring 2000
Meets TTH 8:00AM-9:30AM UTC 2.112A
SB
Media Coverage
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
Dec. 2, 2014
The New York Times | Talking About Racism With White Kids
Nov. 25, 2014
The New York Times |Old Tactic Gets New Use: Public Schools Separate Girls and Boys
Nov. 20, 2014
Christian Science Monitor | Sexy Halloween Costumes for Girls? Study Backs up Concerned Parents
Oct. 31, 2014
Michigan Public Radio | What You Can Learn About Prejudice by Putting Kids in Different Colored Shirts
April 3, 2013
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.
Publications
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