Using social psychological theory to understand choice of a pSTEM academic major

Abstract

Various social psychological factors have been proposed as influencing the likelihood of pursuing a pSTEM (physical science, technology, engineering, and math) academic major, but no work examines these simultaneously to ask which make independent contributions in explaining pSTEM gender disparities. Three hundred and fifty-two undergraduates in USA completed survey items comprising nine factors identified from previous research. Mean gender differences were evident on six of these: Males more strongly endorsed Gender Determinism (the belief that differences between the genders are real, meaningful, and largely biologically driven), and STEM-specific gender stereotypes (that men are better at math and science), and were more likely to report having an influential pSTEM role model in high school; females more strongly endorsed the importance of felt belonging in their academic major, communality goals, and stigma concerns regarding gender. As a set, the factors accounted for a significant proportion (34%) of the gender disparity in selection of a pSTEM major. Significant indirect effects partially explaining the gender gap in pSTEM major selection were evidenced for four of the factors: Gender Determinism, Belonging Importance, Communal Goals, and having a pSTEM high school role model. The findings speak to the unique ability of these factors to predict pSTEM major selection, and gender disparities in these.

Keywords:

• Women in STEM
• gender differences
• gender ideology
• academic major choice

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the members of the CU Stereotyping and Prejudice Lab for numerous helpful conversations regarding this work.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the National Science Foundation grant [NSF1551099] awarded to B.P.