Across three papers in this dissertation, I investigate how perceptual and linguistic cues impact young children’s behavior and perceptions in the domain of STEM. Women and non-White people are underrepresented in STEM fields. One way to understand the early roots of the gender gap in STEM is to consider how the messages that children receive from adults and larger society shapes their understanding of who belongs in STEM and, consequently, who does not. The domain of STEM thus also presents a unique lens through which to study how group membership (or a lack thereof) influences children’s decision-making and beliefs in early childhood. In Paper 1, I focus on perceptual cues to belonging, investigating how visualizing groups of scientists that vary by gender impacts four- to six-year-old children’s STEM-related persistence and perceptions. In Paper 2, I focus on linguistic cues, examining whether four- to seven-year-old children prefer to learn from scientists described as innately brilliant or as hardworking. In Paper 3, I explore how the language and character diversity in a science storybook impacts five- to seven-year-old children’s science interest, feelings of self-efficacy, and persistence in STEM. I conclude by addressing implications of this work for psychology and educational settings and exploring future directions. / 2025-05-18T00:00:00Z
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/46233 |
| Date | 19 May 2023 |
| Creators | Kumar, Sona Christina |
| Contributors | Corriveau, Kathleen H. |
| Source Sets | Boston University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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