Journal Article

Career Identities and Gender-STEM Stereotypes: When and Why Implicit Gender-STEM Associations Emerge and How They Affect Women’s College Major Choice

Barth, Joan M, Dunlap, Sarah T

2023

Overview

Women’s implicit associations between gender and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) may inhibit their desire to pursue and succeed in STEM careers. Little consensus exists regarding when these associations begin to develop and what may lead to changes over time. This study examined whether gender-STEM implicit associations of college women majoring in male-dominated STEM fields are less stereotypical than those who choose non-STEM, people-oriented, female-dominated majors (FDMs), whether these associations might differ between students at the start and end of their degree program, and whether these associations are related to previous STEM-relevant educational experiences or explicit STEM-gender associations. A Career Identity Implicit Association Test (IAT) measured implicit associations between personal identities and career choices and a Gender-Career IAT measured implicit associations between gender groups and careers in a sample of 240 college women (half STEM majors, half FDMs) who completed the study online. Half of each major group was composed of first year students and half were more advanced students (third year or beyond). We also assessed explicit gender-STEM stereotypes and early educational experiences related to STEM. Results indicated more counter-stereotypical associations for personal career identity and gender-career stereotypes among STEM women compared to non-STEM women, with no effect for year in school. Higher quality STEM educational experiences were also associated with counter-stereotypical scores on both IATs. Counterintuitively, explicit gender-STEM associations were related to less stereotypical scores on the Career-Identity IAT. Unexpectedly, STEM majors and advanced students reported more pronounced explicit gender-STEM associations than FDM majors and first-year students. Both IAT scores and early educational experiences predicted major choice. These results have novel implications for interventions that encourage women’s participation in STEM.

• Publisher: Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Advanced Students / Association Measures / Careers / College students / Education / Educational Experience / Females / First year / Gender / Gender identity / Gender stereotypes / Identity / Implicit beliefs / Learning Experience / Majors (Students) / Occupational choice / Occupations / Science / Science and technology / Scores / Self concept / STEM education / Stereotypes / Students / Tests / Women