The concern that the lack of female presence in math-intensive fields, even when there is competitive math ability, is due to misinformation or stereotypes about that career path.   
Question: Could this be discouraging female students in school, affecting their achievement?  
-Lack of self-efficacy or predisposed notions about ability can influence performance/achievement 

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Research from the past has pointed to a bias in peer reviewing and hiring as the cause of women’s underrepresentation in math-based fields.  However, this discrimination is not necessarily due to the structural limitations placed on women in reviewing, interviewing, and hiring, as it was in the past.  There has been a shift to attribute these barriers towards fertility and lifestyle choices, whether they be made freely or constrained by sociocultural norms.  The research has shown that women compete with men in hiring, funding, and publishing, however, they choose to go into biology, medicine, law and humanities fields.  Rather than going into STEM careers, adolescent girls prefer careers focusing on people rather than things.  

The study concludes that fertility and lifestyle choices impact women in the decision making process of all future career fields, while career preferences and ability differences are the main causes of why women to deter from math-based fields.  The study hopes to intervene in this decision process due to the researchers’ concern that the lack of female presence in math-intensive fields even when there is competitive math ability is due to misinformation or stereotypes about that career path.   

If not discrimination, what is the cause of women's underrepresentation in math-based fields?

Ceci, S. J., & Williams, W. M. (2011). Understanding current causes of women's underrepresentation in science. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(8), 3157-3162.

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