CorrespondencePublished: 18 June 2026Theodore C. Masters-Waage1,Juan Madera2,Maritza Gaytan3,Katja Gehmlich ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-4019-18444,5,Stefan Krause ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-2521-22486,7 &…Christiane Spitzmueller ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-0549-02593 Nature Human Behaviour (2026) Cite this articleSubjectsDecision makingEthicsThis Correspondence reanalyses the evidence for a naming bias reported in ref. 5, and takes into account time, the multilevel nature of the dataset and additional control variables. These analyses find no relationship between women scientists winning an award and the award being named neutrally or after men and women together, and find a substantially weaker relationship for awards named after women. Moreover, we find that, statistically, women are not significantly less likely to win an award named after a man as compared with awards named differently. These discrepancies can be explained by different, more sophisticated methodological and statistical approaches.The original dataset reported in ref. 5 was cross-sectional, with summary statistics for the number of men and women awardees for awards named after men, women, neutrally, and men and women, excluding women-only awards. In this Correspondence, our first model sought to conceptually replicate this descriptive approach using logistic regression to calculate effect sizes. The model regressed awardee gender on award naming (coded as named after men (0), women (1), neutrally (2) and men and women (3)). Using odds ratios to interpret the size of the effect (see model 1 in Table 1) — as compared with awards named after men — women were 422% more likely to win an award named after a woman, 81% more likely to win a neutrally named award, and 132% more likely to win an award named after a man and a woman.Table 1 Logistic regression predicting awardee gender (odds ratios reported)Full size tableThis is a preview of subscription content, access via your institutionAccess optionsAccess Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journalsGet Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription27,99 € / 30 dayscancel any timeLearn moreSubscribe to this journalReceive 12 digital issues and online access to articles118,99 € per yearonly 9,92 € per issueLearn moreBuy this articlePurchase on SpringerLinkInstant access to the full article PDF.39,95 €Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkoutReferencesLincoln, A. E., Pincus, S., Koster, J. B. & Leboy, P. S. Soc. Stud. 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Psychol. 69, 229–283 (2016).Article Google Scholar Download referencesAcknowledgementsWe thank the following research assistants for their support in coding the data for this Correspondence: D. Smith, T. Cao and L. Amezcua.Author informationAuthors and AffiliationsHealth Science Research Institute, University of California at Merced, Merced, CA, USATheodore C. Masters-WaageConrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USAJuan MaderaOffice of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, University of California at Merced, Merced, CA, USAMaritza Gaytan & Christiane SpitzmuellerDepartment of Cardiovascular Science, School of Medical Sciences, College of Medicine and Health, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, UKKatja GehmlichDivision of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine and British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence Oxford, University of Oxford, Oxford, UKKatja GehmlichSchool of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, UKStefan KrauseEcologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés (LEHNA), Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, FranceStefan KrauseAuthorsTheodore C. Masters-WaageView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarJuan MaderaView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarMaritza GaytanView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarKatja GehmlichView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarStefan KrauseView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarChristiane SpitzmuellerView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarCorresponding authorCorrespondence to Christiane Spitzmueller.Ethics declarationsCompeting interestsThe authors declare no competing interests.Rights and permissionsReprints and permissionsAbout this article