Does Exposure to Counterstereotypical Role Models Influence Girls’ and Women’s Gender Stereotypes and Career Choices? A Review of Social Psychological Research

Abstract

Gender roles are formed in early childhood and continue to influence behavior through adolescence and adulthood, including the choice of academic majors and careers. In many countries, men are underrepresented in communal roles in health care, elementary education, and domestic functions (HEED fields, Croft et al., 2015), whereas women are underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematical (STEM) fields (Beede et al., 2011) and top leadership positions (Leopold et al., 2016). Theories focusing on the development of gender roles suggest that across the lifespan people perceive certain roles to be more or less appropriate for their gender (e.g., Gender Schema Theory, Martin and Halverson, 1981; Social Role Theory, Eagly and Wood, 2011). Specifically, researchers have postulated that observing same-sex role models triggers learning processes whereby observers internalize gender-stereotypical knowledge of roles and act accordingly, which results in gender-congruent aspirations and behavior. It seems reasonable that if observing men and women in gender congruent roles fosters gender-congruent aspirations and behavior, then frequently observing gender-incongruent role models (e.g., male kindergarten teachers or female scientists and leaders) should reduce gender stereotyping and promote gender-counterstereotypical aspirations and behavior. In many countries, governments and societal decision-makers have formed initiatives based on the idea that exposure to gender-counterstereotypical role models influences aspirations and career choices among children, adolescents, and young adults. The present review gives an overview of research-based interventions involving observing or interacting with counterstereotypical role models, particularly focusing on outcomes for girls and women. Extending earlier reviews, we summarize laboratory-based and field-based studies and then critically discuss and integrate the findings in order to provide an overall picture of how counterstereotypical role models shape observers’ occupational aspirations and academic choices in childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. We conclude by outlining suggestions for future research and briefly discussing implications for future interventions.

Factors influencing participation of underrepresented students in STEM fields: matched mentors and mindsets

“…Research has shown that women and men form gender roles in childhood, largely based on their exposure to media and popular culture (Olsson and Martiny 2018;Steinke, 2017). Media images often depict men and women in traditional gender roles, which can negatively impact the STEM career choices women make (Olsson and Martiny 2018;Bian, Leslie, & Cimpian, 2017). Dou, Hazari, Dabney, Sonnert, and Sadler (2019) found that talking with friends and family about science and consuming science media in childhood were predictive of STEM identity in college.…”

18. Women’s Experience of Role Models in IT: Landmark women, substitutes and supporters

“…23% working in the IT sector in Norway are women, according to Statistics Norway. A similar situation is found across most of the western world (Buse, 2018), while some countries in other parts of the world, like India, have managed to turn the trend by recruiting more women (Raghuram et al, 2018). In Norway there is, however, also a persistent gender division in higher education, with less than 25% women in computing and less than 10% in some IT programmes (SO, 2018).…”

“…Research gives incongruent answers to this. Some studies find that female role models have positive effects, while others show less clear, or even negative effects, in countering gender stereotypes for women in male dominated fields (Drury et al, 2011;Markussen & Røed, 2017;Olsson & Martiny, 2018). Women in male dominated fields might appear as "successful" role models, however, they might also appear to have crossed a boundary and become "absorbed by the masculine culture" (Corneliussen, 2011, p. 97).…”

“…It is mainly women, not men, who are either in need of female role models, or who might be put off by certain types of role models, while men are less affected by role models' features, whether that refers to stereotypes or gender (Cheryan et al, 2011;Drury et al, 2011;Lockwood, 2006). When same-gender role models appear negative for women, they do so because they fail to embody the male norm or the masculine symbols in the field (Olsson & Martiny, 2018). One reason for the incongruent findings related to the gender of role models, might be explained with the fact that there are as many differences within the category of women as there are similarities between the categories of men and women (Connell, 2002).…”

Early 20th‐Century Career Counseling for Women: Contemporary Practice and Research Implications

“…Research has indicated that childhood gender socialization influences career attainment (Lawson, Crouter, & McHale, 2015). One potential way to challenge the gender socialization that reduces women's self‐efficacy is to expose clients to role models and experiences that challenge socialization (Olsson & Martiny, 2018). Counselors should focus on providing young women, and especially women of color, early exposure to nontraditional careers and build young women's self‐efficacy in a variety of career paths (Olsson & Martiny, 2018).…”