The influence of gender stereotypes on women's spatial abilities and their underrepresentation in the field of engineering

Abstract

Technological innovation and scientific progress are important components for improving human condition and economic success. Therefore, a workforce that includes a critical amount of experts in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) domains is needed. Evidence supports that males and females often present differences in their performance and preferences towards some STEM courses and occupations, especially engineering. Specifically, the number of women that decide to pursue careers in the engineering field is relatively low. One possible factor contributing to this gender gap that has gained a lot of interest recently is gender stereotyping and distinct gender roles among societies. Segregation between women and men's societal roles result in psychological gender differences, emerging from early childhood, and can later affect career choices. Additionally, different gender related standards imposed by the society drive women towards activities, majors and careers perceived as more “feminine”. Another way gender stereotypes contribute to these differences is by affecting the development of cognitive skills that are hugely involved in engineer learning and thinking. Spatial abilities are part of such skills that play an important role in academic and occupational achievements in STEM domains, is strongly correlated with engineering education and can, on average, be less developed among women relative to men. In this paper we are going to review the literature on the influence of gender stereotypes on women's spatial ability development, and how this may later prevent them from pursuing a career in engineering.