Performance and personality correlates of teachers' susceptibility to biasing information

Using Draw-A-Person test scores attributed to a "high-status" and "low-status" child, 82 teachers of high and low susceptibility to stereotypically biasing information were identified and studied. In paper-and-pencil tasks, Ss differed from each other in responding to (a) some scales of a self-report personality inventory (Clinical Analysis Questionnaire and Rokeach Dogmatism Scale) and (b) open-ended educational events pertaining to teachers' failure. Ss did not differ in responses to the dogmatism scale and educational events pertaining to problems with individual children and to educational ideology. Classroom observations revealed systematic differences in teacher and student behavior between the high-bias and no-bias groups. These differences, indicative of authoritarianism, were validated by supervisors' evaluations, which correlated strongly with the classroom observations. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).