Why even six-year-old girls think it’s boys who’ll be brilliant, and how this puts girls off science, tech, engineering and maths
Gender stereotypes kick in at an early age, affecting how girls behave and see themselves, and may limit their career aspirations, a new study shows
Why do so few women end up in physics, mathematics and other fields traditionally associated with “brilliance”? Part of the answer may lie in what happens to girls by the time they’re out of kindergarten.
A new study finds that six-year-old girls are less likely than boys to think members of their own gender can be brilliant – and they’re more likely than boys to shy away from activities requiring exceptional intelligence. That’s a serious change from their attitudes at five, when they’re just as likely as boys to think their own gender can be brilliant, and just as willing to take on those activities for brilliant children.
The results, described in the journal Science, shows how early these gender stereotypes begin to affect the self-perception and behaviour of girls – and they may limit their aspirations and careers into adulthood.
“If we want to change young people’s minds and make things more equitable for girls, we really need to know when this problematic stereotype first emerges, and then we know when to intervene to avoid these negative consequences on girls’ educational decisions and their future career choices,” says lead author Lin Bian, a graduate student in psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
