Gender Bias in Pediatric Psychology COMMENT

Objective: Gender bias exists in many professions, but little is known about gender bias in the field of pediatric psychology. Overt bias includes explicitly stated negative beliefs, whereas implicit bias is outside of conscious awareness and may be in opposition to one's beliefs and values yet is highly prevalent. Method: Gender bias commonly occurring in health care disciplines are reviewed, discussed, and applied to the context of pediatric psychology. Results: Examples of gender bias in multiple domains, including patient care, clinical research, the workforce, leadership, compensation, and evaluation and training, are offered. Specific strategies for countering gender bias in pediatric psychology are reviewed. Conclusions: Future research on gender bias specific to pediatric psychology is recommended, and an ongoing dialogue within the pediatric psychology community is encouraged.