Graduate Program Rating Moderates the Gender Productivity Gap in Brazilian Psychology: A Multilevel Analysis of Research Output

Abstract This study investigates gender disparities in research productivity among 1,482 faculty in Brazilian psychology graduate programs. Using publicly available Lattes CV data, we computed a cumulative, quality-weighted article score for each faculty member based on the Qualis journal ranking system. We analyzed scores with a generalized additive mixed model (Gamma family, log link) including random intercepts for programs and adjusting for years in career, total master’s and doctoral supervisions, and the official CAPES graduate-program rating. Results show a significant overall gender gap: on average, men’s scores were 32% higher than women’s (RR = 1.32, 95% CI [1.15, 1.51]). Crucially, program rating moderated this effect. The male advantage was statistically significant in programs rated 3, 4, and 5, but not in newly authorized programs (rating A) or in the highest-rated programs (6 and 7). An exploratory analysis using years since PhD as a proxy for age suggests the interaction may reflect career-stage composition: women in top-rated programs tend to be further along in their careers, potentially beyond life stages when the burdens of reproductive labor — which disproportionately fall on women — most strongly constrain research output. Taken together, the findings indicate that gender inequality in academic productivity persists but is concentrated in lower- and mid-tier programs. Targeted policies that support women’s research during career-building years may help narrow these gaps.