The Effect of Participants’ Race and Gender on Perceptions of STEM and Non-STEM Images of Women

A total of 208 participants provided assessments of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics) or non-STEM images. The participants viewed 36 images of women. Participants in one survey viewed the 36 images, which were assigned a STEM job title. Participants in the second survey viewed the same 36 images, which were assigned a non-STEM job title. Images were assessed for attractiveness and job-related factors, such as creativity, job performance, intelligence, and organization. Differences were found based upon the race and gender of the participant and the race, gender, and body size of the women represented in the images. Perceptions of the images differed based upon the assignment of a STEM or non-STEM job title. African-American women evaluated STEM images more favorably overall than Caucasian women. Female participants evaluated the STEM images of Caucasians more favorably than male participants. Our results confirm that cultural stereotypes affect people's perceptions of women in the STEM fields.