research-article

An Image of Society: Gender and Racial Representation and Impact in Image Search Results for Occupations

Authors:

Michelle A. Gan,

James A. LandayAuthors Info & Claims

Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, Volume 5, Issue CSCW1

Article No.: 26, Pages 1 - 23

https://doi.org/10.1145/3449100

Published: 22 April 2021 Publication History

Abstract

Algorithmically-mediated content is both a product and producer of dominant social narratives, and it has the potential to impact users' beliefs and behaviors. We present two studies on the content and impact of gender and racial representation in image search results for common occupations. In Study 1, we compare 2020 workforce gender and racial composition to that reflected in image search. We find evidence of underrepresentation on both dimensions: women are underrepresented in search at a rate of 42% women for a field with 50% women; people of color are underrepresented with 16% in search compared to an occupation with 22% people of color (the latter being proportional to the U.S. workforce). We also compare our gender representation data with that collected in 2015 by Kay et al., finding little improvement in the last half-decade. In Study 2, we study people's impressions of occupations and sense of belonging in a given field when shown search results with different proportions of women and people of color. We find that both axes of representation as well as people's own racial and gender identities impact their experience of image search results. We conclude by emphasizing the need for designers and auditors of algorithms to consider the disparate impacts of algorithmic content on users of marginalized identities.

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Index Terms

An Image of Society: Gender and Racial Representation and Impact in Image Search Results for Occupations
1. Human-centered computing
  1. Human computer interaction (HCI)
    1. Empirical studies in HCI
    2. HCI design and evaluation methods
      1. Laboratory experiments

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cover image Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction

Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction Volume 5, Issue CSCW1

CSCW

April 2021

5016 pages

EISSN:2573-0142

DOI:10.1145/3460939

Editor:
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Apple Inc., United States

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Published: 22 April 2021

Published in PACMHCI Volume 5, Issue CSCW1

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https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3689904.3694699
Lassiter TFleischmann K(2024)"Something Fast and Cheap" or "A Core Element of Building Trust"? - AI Auditing Professionals' Perspectives on Trust in AIProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36869638:CSCW2(1-22)Online publication date: 8-Nov-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3686963
Wang MBhuiyan MRho ELuther KLee S(2024)Understanding the Relationship Between Social Identity and Self-Expression Through Animated Gifs on Social MediaProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36410318:CSCW1(1-30)Online publication date: 26-Apr-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3641031
Urman AHannak AMakhortykh M(2024)User Attitudes to Content Moderation in Web SearchProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36374238:CSCW1(1-27)Online publication date: 26-Apr-2024
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