Stereotypes and preconceptions about women in science

Stereotypes and preconceptions are often used as the explanation for the underrepresentation of women in higher scientific positions. What are these stereotypes and preconceptions, and how do things stand in reality?

Women are less ambitious, and feel less driven to climb to higher scientific positions than men.

The results of a recent meta analysis demonstrate that women are just as motivated and ambitious as men. Also women are no different from men in terms of mathematical performance, verbal skills and effective leadership 1,2.

Men are from Mars, women from Venus

Men and women have much more in common than they are different; this is the picture that emerges again and again from meta analyses. And this is true for all characteristics needed for academic success, such as intelligence, leadership, assertiveness, competitiveness and rational thought 3.

Women are less suited for leadership than men.

A recent meta analysis demonstrates that women are no different from men when it comes to verbal skills and effective leadership 4,5.

Because women combine work with caring tasks they have less opportunities to develop an academic career.

Women are, more than men, charged on the one hand with committee work and teaching tasks, and on the other hand with caring tasks. But when the data is adjusted for this factor it becomes apparent that women are just as successful as men 6,7.

“Between 60
and 70 percent
of women
have a
full-time
job.”

 

Women work part-time more frequently, gain less experience abroad, and have less time for working on research.

Female university lecturers, senior lecturers and professors within the Dutch universities frequently do work full-time. In all these function categories, between 60 and 70 percent of women have a full-time job (according to the definition used by the CBS: more than 34 hours a week). The higher you look up the academic ladder, the percentage of women working part-time declines. The differences in the scope of their function and foreign experience are also limited.

Women are less dedicated and afford their work less priority than men. Motherhood is a barrier to scientific achievement.

According to a 2008 study at Tilburg University, 8 women scientists are without exception ambitious and passionate about their work. They also state that they work longer hours than their contract stipulates. Moreover, personnel data shows that female scientists work on average just 1.3 hours less than their male colleagues. For fathers and mothers that is 2.5 and 3 hours less. What is also interesting: fathers and mothers publish more than scientists without children 9.

Publishing is the most important criterion for success in science, and women publish less than men.

The accepted view that men and women differ in scientific performance is no longer tenable. Female scientists are beginning to outperform male scientists 10,11. This emerged from a study into the differences in research performance between men and women. In this study 1,100 applications were analysed under three financing programmes (Veni, Vici and Open Competition) within the social sciences during the period 2003-2005. The research performances were measured on the basis of the number of publications (productivity) and the number of citations (impact). From these analyses it emerged that within the established generation (the Vici and Open Competition applicants) the male scientists published and were quoted significantly more on average than female scientists. Among the younger generation of scientists (Veni applicants) these differences disappear.

“Female scientists are
beginning to
outperform
male scientists”

 

Conclusion

The status of the stereotypical ideas and preconceptions varies: from contentious and out of date to being unjustified. In spite of this, they influence, mostly implicitly and unconsciously, a variety of organisational processes and practices. This leads to men being at an advantage in selection processes and grant procedures 12,13.

Test yourself!

How prejudiced are you (m/f)? The implicit association test (IAT) from Harvard measures hidden opinions and attitudes that we, consciously or unconsciously, cannot or do not want to report. Find out whether you are aware of your own implicit stereotypes:

Take the test

Footnotes
  1. Hyde, J. S. (2014). Gender similarities and differences. Annual Review of Psychology, 65, 373-398.
  2. Ceci, S. J., Ginther, D. K., Kahn, S., & Williams, W. M. (2014). Women in academic science: A changing landscape. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 15, 75-141.
  3. American Psychlogical Society. Men and women: no big difference. https://www.apa.org/research/action/difference.aspx
  4. Hyde, J. S. (2014). Gender similarities and differences. Annual Review of Psychology, 65, 373-398.
  5. Ceci, S. J., Ginther, D. K., Kahn, S., & Williams, W. M. (2014). Women in academic science: A changing landscape. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 15, 75-141.
  6. Ceci, S. J., Ginther, D. K., Kahn, S., & Williams, W. M. (2014). Women in academic science: A changing landscape. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 15, 75-141.
  7. Symonds, M.R.E., Gemmell, N. J., Braisher, T. L., Gorringe, K. L., & Elgar, M. A. (2006). Gender differences in publication output: Towards an unbiased metric of research performance. PLoS ONE, 1, e127.
  8. Van Engen, M.L., Bleijenbergh, I. L, & Paauwe, J (2008). Vrouwen in hogere wetenschappelijke posities aan de Universiteit van Tilburg. Tilburg, Universiteit van Tilburg.
  9. Van Engen, M.L., Bleijenbergh, I. L, & Paauwe, J (2008). Vrouwen in hogere wetenschappelijke posities aan de Universiteit van Tilburg. Tilburg, Universiteit van Tilburg
  10. Arensbergen, P. van (2014). Talent Proof: Selection Processes in Research Funding and Careers. Den Haag: Rathenau Instituut.
  11. Arensbergen, P. van, Weijden, I.C.M. van der & Besselaar, P.A.A. van den (2012). Presteren mannelijke onderzoekers nog altijd beter dan vrouwen? Tijdschrift voor Genderstudies, 15(3), 24-36.
  12. Engen, M. van, Bleijenbergh, I. & Vinkenburg, C. (2010). Structurele en culturele belemmeringen in de doorstroom van vrouwen naar hogere functies binnen de TU Delft. Eindrapport onderzoeksproject Talent naar de Top Technische universiteit Delft.
  13. Engen, M. van, Bleijenbergh, I. & Paauwe, J. (2008). Vrouwen in hogere wetenschappelijke posities aan de Universiteit van Tilburg: Processen van instroom, doorstroom en uitstroom nader bekeken. Onderzoek in opdracht van het College van Bestuur van de Universiteit van Tilburg.
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