2004, Vol. 69 (February:93-113) | Shelley J. Correll
This study evaluates a model that explains how cultural beliefs about gender constrain the career-relevant aspirations of men and women. The model posits that gender status beliefs create a double standard for attributing performance to ability, leading to differential assessments of competence at career-relevant tasks. These assessments, in turn, influence career aspirations. The experiment supports this model by showing that male participants, when exposed to the belief that men are better at a task, assessed their task ability higher than female participants, even though both received the same scores. This led to higher aspirations for career-relevant activities in males but not in females, who were exposed to the belief that men and women have equal task ability. The study also compares these findings to a survey showing that men have higher self-assessments of mathematical ability, which contributes to their higher rates of persistence in science, math, and engineering careers. The research highlights the importance of cultural constraints in shaping career choices and aspirations, suggesting that gender differences in career choices are not solely due to demand-side processes but also to supply-side factors.This study evaluates a model that explains how cultural beliefs about gender constrain the career-relevant aspirations of men and women. The model posits that gender status beliefs create a double standard for attributing performance to ability, leading to differential assessments of competence at career-relevant tasks. These assessments, in turn, influence career aspirations. The experiment supports this model by showing that male participants, when exposed to the belief that men are better at a task, assessed their task ability higher than female participants, even though both received the same scores. This led to higher aspirations for career-relevant activities in males but not in females, who were exposed to the belief that men and women have equal task ability. The study also compares these findings to a survey showing that men have higher self-assessments of mathematical ability, which contributes to their higher rates of persistence in science, math, and engineering careers. The research highlights the importance of cultural constraints in shaping career choices and aspirations, suggesting that gender differences in career choices are not solely due to demand-side processes but also to supply-side factors.