Maybe She Is Relatable

Abstract

In the current research, we explored whether informing women about gender bias in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) would enhance their identification with a female scientist, and whether this increased identification would in turn protect women from any adverse effects of gender bias information. We found that, relative to a control information condition, gender bias information promoted beliefs that a successful woman (but not a man) scientist had encountered bias, and encouraged identification with that woman scientist. Feelings of empathic concern was an important mechanism underlying this increased identification (Experiments 2 and 3). Moreover, when presented with a man scientist, information about gender bias in STEM decreased female participants' anticipated belonging and trust in a STEM environment, compared to participants in a control information condition (Experiment 1a and 1b). However, identifying with a woman scientist after learning about sexism in STEM fields alleviated this harmful effect. Finally, compared to those in the control condition, female college students who learned about gender bias reported greater interest in interacting with a woman STEM professor at their university (Experiment 3). Our results suggest that interventions teaching women about gender bias in STEM will help women identify with women scientists.

A confirmatory study of the relations between workplace sexism, sense of belonging, mental health, and job satisfaction among women in male‐dominated industries

“…Previous research has found that workplace sexism leads to a reduced sense of belonging in the workplace among women (Richman et al, 2011;Rubin, Subašić, Giacomini, & Paolini, 2017;Stout & Dasgupta, 2011), most likely because workplace sexism represents a form of bullying, rejection, and ostracism by men against their female co-workers (e.g., Smart Richman & Leary, 2009). Similar results have been found in the case of women in male-dominated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics degrees at university (e.g., Lawson, Kooiman, & Kuchta, 2017;Moss-Racusin, Sanzari, Caluori, & Rabasco, 2018;Pietri, Johnson, Ozgumus, & Young, 2018).…”

A Confirmatory Study of the Relations Between Workplace Sexism, Sense of Belonging, Mental Health, and Job Satisfaction Among Women in Male-Dominated Industries

“…Previous research has found that workplace sexism leads to a reduced sense of belonging in the workplace among women (Richman et al, 2011;Rubin, Subašić, Giacomini, & Paolini, 2017;Stout & Dasgupta, 2011), most likely because workplace sexism represents a form of bullying, rejection, and ostracism by men against their female co-workers (e.g., Smart Richman & Leary, 2009). Similar results have been found in the case of women in maledominated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics degrees at university (e.g., Lawson, Kooiman, & Kuchta, 2017;Moss-Racusin, Sanzari, Caluori, & Rabasco, 2018;Pietri, Johnson, Ozgumus, & Young, 2018).…”

Text-mining forma mentis networks reconstruct public perception of the STEM gender gap in social media

“…Overwhelming evidence indicates that the gender gap in science is a complex phenomenon deeply affecting society, economics and science advancement (Ely, Ibarra & Kolb, 2011;Madsen & Andrade, 2018;Hogue & Lord, 2007;Pietri et al, 2018). The gender gap in the scientific, technological, engineering and mathematical (STEM) disciplines is a disparity of how different genders enter in and progress through a career in science (Shapiro & Williams, 2012).…”