Can Films Impact Sexism in STEM? Examining this Possibility with the Popular Documentary “Picture a Scientist”

Abstract

High-impact interventions are necessary to reduce persistent gender disparities and sexism in STEM. "Picture a Scientist," a popular documentary featuring stories and research about bias and discrimination in STEM, reached a large international audience. And yet, the extent to which this type of high-quality media can impact gender bias remains unclear. In a unique collaboration between film creators and researchers, the current large-scale field studies explored whether “Picture a Scientist” functioned as an online intervention targeting gender bias in STEM. Exploratory Study 1 found that viewers who were more engaged with the film were also more inspired to continue learning about the issues highlighted in the documentary and combating bias and unfair treatment. Employing a quasi-experimental design, preregistered Study 2 demonstrated that compared to those who had not watched the film (but intended to), participants who had viewed the film indicated higher awareness of gender bias and stronger intentions to address this bias through personal actions and new policies. Workshops and panel discussions featuring this documentary (and other similar forms of media) may be relatively low cost, easy to implement, and enjoyable interventions. Thus, the current findings can help inform future organizational policies and workshops, implementing viewings of this documentary or similar films.