![]() When asked to describe computer scientists, American students often think of images like those from TV shows like Big Bang Theory and Silicon Valley. The images that students have in their heads of computer science and engineering matter. In this way, noting differences in interests without giving the broader context of why these differences exist can itself contribute to girls’ underrepresentation.Ī more complete explanation for girls’ and women’s lower interest entails highlighting societal and structural influences, such as the male-oriented images and culture of these fields. When girls hear the message, “people like you (i.e., other girls) don’t enjoy this,” they assume they won’t be interested in the activity, and it changes their behavior. ![]() When the computer science activity was not marked with a gender stereotype, girls and boys were equally interested in it. Describing a computer science activity as something that “girls are less interested in than boys are” caused girls to feel a lower sense of belonging with that activity and made them significantly less likely to choose it. We found that girls’ choices are negatively affected by hearing stereotypes that other girls aren’t interested in these fields. Two subsequent experiments in this paper uncovered the underlying causal mechanisms. How do these gender stereotypes become self-fulfilling prophecies in this way? Girls who strongly endorse these stereotypes show the lowest interest in computer science and engineering. In a paper we recently published, we found that young children and adolescents in the U.S., like adults, believe that girls are less interested than boys in computer science and engineering. The status quo makes it clear that these fields and societal institutions still have a long way to go. Instead, we think that changing the male-oriented image and cultures of engineering and computer science will draw more young women into these fields. Focusing the explanation on currently existing interests suggests that girls and women are deficient and need to change. A better solution is to understand how the cultures of these fields dissuade many women and young girls from becoming interested in this important work. But, it is incomplete in problematic ways, and worsens the very disparities it seeks to explain.Įnding with an explanation that women currently have lower interest in these fields is shortsighted. This explanation is technically accurate and supported by women’s and men’s own responses. Why are so few women entering these fields? A common explanation is that women are less interested than men in computer science and engineering. ![]() Identifying the factors causing women’s underrepresentation is the first step toward remedies. Society is also missing out on the potential contributions they would make to these fields, such as designing smartphone conversational agents that suggest help not only for heart attack symptoms but also for indicators of domestic violence. ![]() Women are missing out on flexible, lucrative and high-status careers. ![]() Only 20 percent of computer science and 22 percent of engineering undergraduate degrees in the U.S. ![]()
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