Gender Stereotypes and Expected Backlash for Female STEM Students in Germany and Japan
Although Germany and Japan are top-ranking in STEM, women are underrepresented in the STEM fields of physics, engineering, and computer science in both countries. The current research investigated widespread gender-science stereotypes in STEM in the two countries (Studies 1 and 2) and negative conse...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Education |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2021.793486/full |
| _version_ | 1819005014391128064 |
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| author | Laura Froehlich Saori Tsukamoto Yasuko Morinaga Kiriko Sakata Yukiko Uchida Melanie M. Keller Stefan Stürmer Sarah E. Martiny Gisela Trommsdorff |
| author_facet | Laura Froehlich Saori Tsukamoto Yasuko Morinaga Kiriko Sakata Yukiko Uchida Melanie M. Keller Stefan Stürmer Sarah E. Martiny Gisela Trommsdorff |
| author_sort | Laura Froehlich |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Although Germany and Japan are top-ranking in STEM, women are underrepresented in the STEM fields of physics, engineering, and computer science in both countries. The current research investigated widespread gender-science stereotypes in STEM in the two countries (Studies 1 and 2) and negative consequences of expected backlash (i.e., imagining negative reactions and lower ascribed communion in scenarios) for women’s emotions and motivation in STEM due to role incongruity and lack-of-fit (Study 3). Studies 1 (N = 87) and 2 (N = 22,556) showed that explicit and implicit gender-science stereotypes are widespread and comparable in Germany and Japan. Study 3 (N = 628) showed that lower ascribed communion was related to less positive emotions, more negative emotions and anxiety emotions, and less study motivation for STEM students (from the fields of physics, engineering, and computer science) from Germany and Japan. Results point to more subtle expected backlash effects for women in STEM than hypothesized. Theoretical and practical implications for gender equality in STEM are discussed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T23:46:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-31120c46c2ef4005ad2578c7c340b95f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2504-284X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T23:46:03Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-31120c46c2ef4005ad2578c7c340b95f2022-12-21T19:22:57ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Education2504-284X2022-01-01610.3389/feduc.2021.793486793486Gender Stereotypes and Expected Backlash for Female STEM Students in Germany and JapanLaura Froehlich0Saori Tsukamoto1Yasuko Morinaga2Kiriko Sakata3Yukiko Uchida4Melanie M. Keller5Stefan Stürmer6Sarah E. Martiny7Gisela Trommsdorff8Research Cluster D2L2, FernUniversität in Hagen, Hagen, GermanyDivision of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Aichi Gakuin University, Nisshin, JapanGraduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Hiroshima, Hiroshima, JapanGraduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Hiroshima, Hiroshima, JapanKokoro Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, JapanIPN - Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education, Kiel, GermanyResearch Cluster D2L2, FernUniversität in Hagen, Hagen, GermanyDepartment of Psychology, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, NorwayDepartment of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, GermanyAlthough Germany and Japan are top-ranking in STEM, women are underrepresented in the STEM fields of physics, engineering, and computer science in both countries. The current research investigated widespread gender-science stereotypes in STEM in the two countries (Studies 1 and 2) and negative consequences of expected backlash (i.e., imagining negative reactions and lower ascribed communion in scenarios) for women’s emotions and motivation in STEM due to role incongruity and lack-of-fit (Study 3). Studies 1 (N = 87) and 2 (N = 22,556) showed that explicit and implicit gender-science stereotypes are widespread and comparable in Germany and Japan. Study 3 (N = 628) showed that lower ascribed communion was related to less positive emotions, more negative emotions and anxiety emotions, and less study motivation for STEM students (from the fields of physics, engineering, and computer science) from Germany and Japan. Results point to more subtle expected backlash effects for women in STEM than hypothesized. Theoretical and practical implications for gender equality in STEM are discussed.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2021.793486/fullbacklashcross-cultural psychologygender stereotypessocial role theoryscience technology engineering mathematics |
| spellingShingle | Laura Froehlich Saori Tsukamoto Yasuko Morinaga Kiriko Sakata Yukiko Uchida Melanie M. Keller Stefan Stürmer Sarah E. Martiny Gisela Trommsdorff Gender Stereotypes and Expected Backlash for Female STEM Students in Germany and Japan Frontiers in Education backlash cross-cultural psychology gender stereotypes social role theory science technology engineering mathematics |
| title | Gender Stereotypes and Expected Backlash for Female STEM Students in Germany and Japan |
| title_full | Gender Stereotypes and Expected Backlash for Female STEM Students in Germany and Japan |
| title_fullStr | Gender Stereotypes and Expected Backlash for Female STEM Students in Germany and Japan |
| title_full_unstemmed | Gender Stereotypes and Expected Backlash for Female STEM Students in Germany and Japan |
| title_short | Gender Stereotypes and Expected Backlash for Female STEM Students in Germany and Japan |
| title_sort | gender stereotypes and expected backlash for female stem students in germany and japan |
| topic | backlash cross-cultural psychology gender stereotypes social role theory science technology engineering mathematics |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2021.793486/full |
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