The Emergence of the “Nerd”

Abstract

This study assessed the attitudes of elementary and secondary children (N = 5,971) toward computer technologies through the use of the Draw-A-Computer-User Test. Findings from this study indicate that children do not view technological careers as a mere extension of science but rather as the integration of computer technologies into existing careers. A stereotypical image of a “teenage nerd” emerged in the drawings of secondary students but not in elementary children’s drawings. This negative stereotypical image of a computer user was defined by adolescents as being a person who: (a) is a teenage male, (b) parts his hair in the middle and/or wears slicked-down hair, (c) wears eyeglasses, (d) dons a pocket protector containing mechanical lead pencils, (e) dresses in trousers that don’t meet shoe tops, and (f) wears oversized clothing. Additionally, drawings bearing this negative stereotypical image were typically labeled with the word “nerd” or the name “Urkle.” In this study, a strong distinction between scientific and technological careers was observed in the drawings of younger subjects but not in the drawings of older students.

Keywords:

• attitudes
• careers
• perceptions