SBP: The Roots of Female Underrepresentation in STEM and Beyond: Exploring the Development of Gender Stereotypes about Intelligence

SBP：STEM 及其他领域女性代表性不足的根源：探索关于智力的性别刻板印象的发展

• 批准号: 1733897
• 负责人: Andrei Cimpian
• 金额: $ 103.33万
• 依托单位: New York University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-08-15 至 2020-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1733897&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBP; Roots; Female; Underrepresentation; STEM

This project examines the development of a key factor leading to women's underrepresentation in science and technology. Specifically, it examines the development of the cultural stereotype that links males but not females with intellectual brilliance and genius. Previous research has found that academic disciplines that are believed to require a "spark of genius" tend to have the largest gender gaps. Because many science fields are portrayed in such terms, the "brilliance = males" stereotype may be an important factor in explaining the persistent gender gap in these disciplines. The primary goal of this research is understanding how this stereotype is acquired over the course of development. Investigating the development of this stereotype will inform how the stereotype might steer capable young women away from pursuing careers in science and technology and may also inform the optimal timing of potential interventions to block its adverse effects. This project consists of three studies to examine three crucial developmental issues. First, it investigates the development of children's knowledge of the cultural stereotype that males are more likely to be brilliant than females. Second, it investigates the development of gender differences in children's motivation to engage in activities portrayed as requiring high levels of intellectual aptitude. Finally, it investigates longitudinally whether internalizing the stereotype against females' intellectual abilities undermines young girls' subsequent motivation to engage in activities that are said to require brilliance and giftedness. This research explores the development of a set of processes that ultimately limit opportunities for women. As such, these studies will improve parents', educators', and policy-makers' ability to intervene at the root of the problem to promote greater gender equity in those domains of academia and industry in which women have traditionally been underrepresented.This proposal is being co-funded by Developmental and Learning Sciences, Social Psychology, and Science of Broadening Participation within the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Directorate and by the Education and Human Resources Directorate's Core Research program and the Research on Gender in Science and Engineering program.

该项目研究了导致女性在科学技术领域代表性不足的一个关键因素的发展情况。具体来说，它考察了将男性而非女性与智力才华和天才联系起来的文化刻板印象的发展。此前的研究发现，被认为需要“天才火花”的学科往往存在最大的性别差距。由于许多科学领域都是用这样的术语来描述的，“才华=男性”的刻板印象可能是解释这些学科中持续存在的性别差距的一个重要因素。这项研究的主要目标是了解这种刻板印象是如何在发展过程中获得的。 调查这种刻板印象的发展将了解这种刻板印象如何引导有能力的年轻女性放弃从事科学技术职业，也可能了解潜在干预措施的最佳时机，以阻止其不利影响。该项目由三项研究组成，旨在检验三个关键的发展问题。首先，它调查了儿童对“男性比女性更聪明”这一文化刻板印象的了解的发展情况。其次，它调查了儿童参与需要高水平智力能力的活动的动机的性别差异的发展。最后，它纵向调查了对女性智力能力的刻板印象的内化是否会损害年轻女孩随后从事据称需要才华和天赋的活动的动力。这项研究探讨了一系列最终限制女性机会的过程的发展。因此，这些研究将提高家长、教育工作者和政策制定者从问题根源进行干预的能力，从而在传统上女性代表性不足的学术界和工业界促进更大的性别平等。由社会、行为和经济科学理事会内的发展和学习科学、社会心理学和扩大参与科学以及教育和人力资源理事会的核心研究计划和性别研究共同资助科学与工程计划。