Although prior research has shown stereotypical scientist traits are associated more with men than women, that gender gap may not exist in people’s perception of Black men and women, according to a new study led by Sheba M. Aikawa, a Ph.D. candidate in social psychology at the University of Colorado Boulder.
“What we found was that Black men and Black women were viewed similarly on scientist-related traits,” Aikawa says. “This suggests that racial stereotypes may be a particularly important factor shaping perceptions of who is seen as belonging in science.”
For their study, Aikawa and her co-authors conducted four experiments with more than 1,100 White and Black participants, who were asked to estimate what percentage of Black men, Black women, White men, and White women society views as possessing stereotypical scientist traits, including positive attributes like being analytical or meticulous, as well as negative attributes like being robotic or unsociable.
Across all experiments and across White and Black participants, White men were perceived as the most likely group to possess both positive and negative scientist traits. Positive scientist traits were more likely to be associated with White women than with both Black men and Black women. However, there was no difference in the positive scientific perception of Black women and Black men. Negative scientific perception was roughly equal among White women, Black women, and Black men.
“Even people who value diversity may unknowingly hold assumptions about who looks like a scientist or who seems naturally suited for STEM,” said Aikawa. “Awareness does not necessarily mean that people recognize how those beliefs influence their own judgments and behaviors.”
Aikawa holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University at Albany in New York and a master’s degree in psychology from New York University. She is slated to complete her doctorate later this year.
