The Stories We Tell Ourselves

Photo courtesy of Forbes.com

“Most of us think that we’re better drivers than the average person, and we really think we’re more honest and morally upstanding than the average person,” says Michael Norton, Associate Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School. He has been studying how people can lie and yet think that they are perfectly great, honest individuals. You might think he is interested in politicians or car dealers, but actually this is about regular people like you and me. We are quite prone to engaging in questionable behavior, yet we are very good at finding excuses for problematic decisions and even tricking ourselves into believing that we did not cheat.

He described a simple experiment – college men were asked to pick between subscriptions to two sports magazines. The magazine descriptions were identical except for the fact that one offered more articles per issue and the other covered a broader array of sports. The preferences split half and half. However, when one of the magazines also offered a swimsuit edition, that magazine became the overwhelming choice. They were then asked to explain why they picked the magazine. The men in the group whose “more articles” magazine offered the swimsuit edition explained that they valued having more articles, while the men whose swimsuit issue was packaged with the “more sports” magazine were equally emphatic that they liked reading about a wider variety of sports.

Perhaps the guys just did not want the researchers to know their true motivation, but what if they were not even aware of their choice process? And what if their decision was more consequential? In a similar experiment, hypothetical managers of a cement manufacturing company (a stereotypically male field) were asked to select between two applicants – one had more education, the other more experience. Those ‘employers’ whose more experienced candidate was named Lisa, overwhelmingly chose the other candidate named Dan, citing the importance of education credentials. But those whose Lisa was more educated, hired Dan because he had more experience. When told in advance that they would be accountable for their decision, the subjects simply became more vociferous in explaining the importance of whichever non-questionable characteristic they picked, sometimes writing whole essays about their choice and how they never took gender into account.

These experiments have implications for hiring, promotions, political recruiting and college admissions, among other fields.  Are we really guided by objective criteria when we read an application, interview someone or consider them for promotion? All signs point to people making the biased choice and then justifying it with the most conveniently available “objective” information. Perhaps even more troubling is the notion that you and I might be completely unaware of our own questionable behaviors, whether they are gender-biased, race-biased or simply dishonest. After all, we are more morally upstanding and more enlightened than the average person, right?  

Anya Malkov is an MPP candidate at the Harvard Kennedy School, a WAPPP Cultural Bridge Fellow, and an alumna of From Harvard Square to the Oval Office.

Negotiating a Better Future - WAPPP Seminar Series

The Women:
Kathleen McGinn, Cahners-Rabb Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School
Nava Ashraf, Associate Professor, Harvard Business School

The Talk: Negotiating a Better Future: Measuring the Impact of Negotiation Skills on Health and Social Outcomes in Zambia

The Question: Can teaching young girls negotiating skills impact their health and education?

Teaching girls negotiating skills may not just boost morale, it may also change lives. At least that’s what research from Harvard Business School is finding when it comes to young girls in Zambia making choices around pursuing education and making decisions around sexual behavior. While the study is ongoing, the research suggests that when girls are taught negotiation skills and techniques -- in addition to information about sexual behavior and education -- they are better equipped to influence their future.

The Numbers.

Currently 57 percent of adults living with HIV in Zambia are women; young girls have a higher prevalence of HIV compared to boys of the same age; and girls are less likely to be enrolled in school. This puts girls at an increased risk of early pregnancy, marriage, HIV infection, and lowered economic and social capital.

Plenty of research exists on the role of public health campaigns and educational programs to reduce HIV and prevent early pregnancy; yet, simply teaching safe sex practices may not be enough.

Why Not?

Teaching women and girls about condom use, reproductive health and the importance of education assumes one critical component -- women and girls have the agency to influence and make these decisions.

“Information is power, but not if you’re powerless,” says Kathleen McGinn. For example, negotiating sex or requesting money for education may not be areas where young girls can control the outcome. Patriarchal systems, social stigmas, male-favoritism -- a myriad of reasons -- means that having the information does not necessarily translate to gaining the desired results.

This is where the power of negotiation enters. When women and girls couple negotiation skills with knowledge, they may be more likely to effectively influence and persuade those in power, thus leading to better results. In terms of education and health, this could have an exponential impact for girls, families and communities. Furthermore, the World Health Organization recently cited both “negotiation skills for women” and “expanded efforts to keep girls in school” as two significant tools for women and girls to protect themselves from HIV. McGinn, Ashraf and Low appear to be reinforcing this recommendation.

While the trials are still ongoing, McGinn et al found that girls in their program reported positive impacts in both school and social environments. These included advocating for themselves, setting ambitious goals, and effectively communicating.

“There is great variation in how well individuals can take advantage of the information in front of them. That ability is a skill that we believe can be taught,” says McGinn.

*Photo courtesy of Nava Ashraf, taken by Kelsey Jack.

Melissa Sandgren is an MPP1 candidate at the Harvard Kennedy School and a participant in WAPPP's From Harvard Square to the Oval Office program.

Why Rising Crime Rates in India May Be a Good Thing - WAPPP Seminar Series

The Woman: Lakshmi Iyer, Associate Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School

The Talk: The Power of Political Voice: Women's Political Representation and Crime in India

The Question: Does female leadership affect crime rates in India?

It's not every day that rising crime rates are seen as a good thing. But according to Lakshmi Iyer at Harvard Business School, this statistic may reveal how women in India are gaining better access to the country's justice system.

According to recent research conducted by her and her team, reports of crimes against women have risen as more female politicians have been elected at the local, district and village council levels over the past 2 decades. Rather than an increase in crimes against women, Iyer argues that the rising rate is due to greater reporting of crimes--which is good news for women's access to the justice system in a system ridden by caste, social hierarchy, and persistent gender disparity.

Greater female political representation has meant:

• Better Response from Law Enforcement: a female politician may have more inclination to pursue legislation for women against crimes and violence, and also construct policy based on the needs of her constituents.
• Better Public Perception: interaction with female leaders in India has shown that areas with female leadership have positive views of female leadership
• The Role Model Effect: women may be less tolerant of abuse once they see others in power, and are motivated to take a stand against injustice.

Using crime statistics from 1985-2007, Iyer and her team were able to analyze how crimes against women were reported. The result?

As more females were elected at lower levels of government beginning in 1993, crimes against women increased on the books by 44% - an astounding figure that flabbergasted the team. "We first thought we were wrong, because the number was so big," says Iyer. "We ran the regression again because we were expecting crime rates to decline."The statistic also allowed researchers to glean how attitudes towards women may be changing on the ground.

The police, a traditionally male-dominated institution, may be treating women's crimes more seriously now that women are accompanied by a village counsellor to help them support their claim. This is key in a country where Iyer says attitudes towards crimes against women are still casual. "One policeman told me: 'The husband has a right to beat the wife. in fact, I beat my wife too'."

But some think that education, rather than political representation, will ultimately change attitudes towards women in India. A former chief of police was on hand at the seminar to address the problem of gender disparity. "Many times, if the woman elected to office is illiterate, her husband is ruling by proxy. I believe it is education that will really make the difference for women's progress in India."

*Caption: Pratibha Patil, India's president, makes a peace sign after being elected the first female president of India in 2007. Courtesy Reuters
Effie-Michelle Metallidis is a guest student blogger for the Women and Public Policy Program and Master in Public Policy first-year student at Harvard Kennedy School.