Campus perceptions on the granting of accommodations for student parents

Abstract

While ample literature demonstrates the existence of stereotypes against pregnant and parenting people in workplace settings, research which directly examines student and faculty perceptions toward student parents on campus is sparse. Associations between stereotypes and behavioural outcomes have been found in a variety of populations using the Stereotype Content Model (SCM). The present study is the first to quantitatively situate the SCM in an academic, student-parent context. Parenthood status was not associated with warmth or competence ratings in student fathers but participants did perceive student mothers as higher in competence than non-parenting female students. This study found no significant associations among participant gender, support for accommodations and SCM ratings. Overall, these findings demonstrate that undergraduate students do not hold negative stereotypes against student parents, suggesting that they may consider all students, regardless of parental status or gender, to be part of their in-group. Future research should examine faculty perceptions toward student parents, as well as associations between these perceptions and passive/active harm/facilitation.