LE3 .A278 2020

2020

Newman, Randy Lynn

Acadia University

Master of Science

Masters

Psychology

Psychology

The degree to which women expect, perceive, and are influenced by negative stereotypes pertaining to their abilities or interests acts as a barrier to them entering and persisting in science, technology, engineering, and math (i.e., STEM) fields. In this study, the impact of stereotype vulnerability on different aspects of university students’ commitment to their academic major (i.e., personal identity versus obligation and perceived costs) was examined along with the potential mediating effects of belongingness, life satisfaction, and utility value. Canadian undergraduate students (N= 496) enrolled in a range of academic majors (i.e., physical sciences [pSTEM], life sciences [lsSTEM] and non-STEM) were surveyed. Results indicate that women were more vulnerable to stereotypes than men, particularly in pSTEM. Moreover, women’s vulnerability to stereotypes served as an antecedent to reduced belongingness, a devaluing of their major, and reduced life satisfaction, all of which predicted lower levels of identity-based academic commitment. Findings underscore the importance of dispelling negative cultural stereotypes about women’s abilities, particularly within pSTEM fields, as a way of encouraging women to persist in these fields.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:3535