Arlington, Va. – Children as young as age 6 develop gender stereotypes about computer science and engineering, viewing boys as more capable than girls, according to new results from an American Institutes for Research (AIR) study. However, math stereotypes are far less gendered, showing that young children do not view all science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields as the same.
These new findings come from the largest-ever study on children's gender stereotypes about STEM and verbal abilities, based on data from 145,000 children across 33 nations, synthesizing more than 40 years of research. The results of the AIR study were published on Dec. 9 in Psychological Bulletin, a journal of the American Psychological Association.
"The early emergence of these biases signals that kids acquire messages about computing and engineering stereotypes at home and in other environments before K‑12 schooling," said David Miller , lead author and senior researcher at AIR. "Parents, early childhood educators, and out-of-school-time programs have a key role to play in helping to reshape these narratives."
As girls age, their male-STEM bias increases, which could potentially limit their future aspirations for fast-growing tech fields, such as artificial intelligence. Miller said the results make clear the need for targeted interventions.
"Initiatives focused on 'girls in math' or 'girls in STEM' may fall short of addressing the most entrenched male-biased beliefs," he said. "These initiatives need dedicated attention on girls in computing and engineering, especially in early childhood, before these stereotypes set in."
Other notable findings from the AIR study include:
- At all ages, math stereotypes remain far less gendered than computing or engineering stereotypes, contrary to assumptions that "girls are bad at math" is a widespread belief.
- While boys are seen as better in physics, girls are seen as better in biology, showing notable divides even within science fields.
- Girls are seen as far superior in verbal domains, such as reading and writing – a belief that emerges by age 8 and strengthens in older ages.
With funding from the National Science Foundation , the AIR team led a comprehensive review of 98 studies, spanning data from 1977 to 2020.
Visit AIR.org to learn more about AIR's work related to increasing diversity in STEM and in broadening STEM participation by women, racial and ethnic minorities, and people with disabilities. You can also learn more about meta-analysis and similar projects conducted by AIR experts.
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