University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

The roots of gender gaps: investigating the development of gender stereotypes about intelligence

Bian, Lin

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BIAN-DISSERTATION-2017.pdf

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/97324

Description

Title
The roots of gender gaps: investigating the development of gender stereotypes about intelligence
Author(s)
Bian, Lin
Issue Date
2017-04-11
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Cimpian, Andrei
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Baillargeon, Renée
Committee Member(s)
  • Leslie, Sarah-Jane
  • Pomerantz, Eva
  • Cohen, Dov
Department of Study
Psychology
Discipline
Psychology
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Date of Ingest
2017-08-10T19:14:51Z
Keyword(s)
  • Gender
  • Stereotypes
  • Ability beliefs
  • Intelligence
Abstract
Women are consistently underrepresented in certain careers—not just in mathematics and science but also in fields such as philosophy and music composition. In my dissertation, I focus on a recently discovered factor that may contribute to this imbalance: Women are culturally stereotyped as being less intellectually gifted than men, and as a result they may face a number of obstacles when pursuing degrees and professions that are portrayed as requiring intellectual giftedness (Leslie, Cimpian, Meyer, & Freeland, 2015). Prior research on this potential mechanism has focused exclusively on adults; thus, little is known about its developmental roots. The earlier children acquire the notion that brilliance is a male quality, the stronger its influence may be on their aspirations. Our present research shows that, by the age of 6, girls are less likely than boys to believe that members of their gender are “really, really smart” – a child-friendly way of referring to brilliance (Studies 1 and 2). Also at 6, girls begin to shy away from novel activities said to be for children who are “really, really smart” (Studies 3 and 4). Moreover, this stereotype undermines both adults’ and children’s evaluation of females’ capabilities for activities portrayed as requiring brilliance (Studies 5 and 6). These studies speak to the early acquisition of cultural ideas about brilliance and gender, and to the immediate impact that these stereotyped notions have on people’s interests and evaluations.
Graduation Semester
2017-05
Type of Resource
text
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/97324
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2017 Lin Bian

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