- Professionals in disciplines where field-specific ability beliefs are more prevalent rated their field of study as being less welcoming to women and racial minorities and expressed views that women were less suited for the work that their discipline requires.  
- When instructors assume that certain students are inherently unsuited for high-level work, they are more likely to treat them unfairly. The difficulties associated with this discrimination make it harder for minority students to succeed.
- Constant external pressure might also lead students to internalize these stereotypes, further convincing minority students that these disciplines “aren’t for them.”



New York University

- Because of cultural stereotypes regarding intelligence, academic fields that prize talent over hard work are more likely to support white men that they see as having innate “potential”
- In contrast, minorities perceived as lacking natural brilliance are seen as being inherently less suited for high-level work in these areas.
- This is why field-specific ability scores predict underrepresentation of women and African-American scholars, but not Asian-Americans (who are subject to a different set of stereotypes pertaining to their ‘model minority’ status)


Cultural Stereotypes and Field-Specific Ability Beliefs

Leslie, S. J., Cimpian, A., Meyer, M., & Freeland, E. (2015). Expectations of brilliance underlie gender distributions across academic disciplines. Science, 347(6219), 262-265.


Expectations of brilliance underlie gender distributions across academic disciplines

- The emphasis on raw ability might also make negative stereotypes more salient for certain minority students, making them more susceptible to stereotype threat and imposter syndrome.
- This, compounded with an elitist learning environment and negative experiences they might have had in their academic career, might discourage women and POC from pursuing an advanced degree.



Learn Before

Related