Americans’ Beliefs about the Causes of the Gender Gap in STEM: Demographic Correlates, Policy Consequences

• In Event: 20817 - Stalled Gender Revolution: Precarity, Segregation, and Labor Market Attachment

Abstract

Gender disparities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are stark. Much research has pointed to the role of structural factors like discrimination and bias in women’s underrepresentation. In this study, we ask how the general public (mis)understands the reasons for this gender inequality, drawing on insights from causal attribution theory. Using novel survey data from a national quota sample of U.S. adults (N=1,497), we find that most Americans underestimate the gender gap in STEM. Factor analysis reveals that Americans attribute this disparity to four main causes: (1) biological differences in men’s and women’s abilities, (2) societal factors, such as discrimination and lack of role models and mentors, (3) gender differences in work and family priorities, and (4) women’s relative lack of confidence in their math and science skills. We identify demographic differences in endorsement of these causal attributions, and show that these attributions predict policy preferences and prosocial behavior.

Authors

• Lauren Valentino, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

• Sophia Santillan, Duke University

• Victoria Akin, Duke University