“The Matilda Effect” is a common assumption that only men can make significant contributions in STEM, and as a result, women’s scientific accomplishments are ignored. A recent study published in Science Education has revealed a prejudice they refer to as “The reverse Matilda effect,” where both men and women view any given STEM field as less attractive if they are aware that women have made significant contributions to that field.
The authors recruited a sample of over 800 high school students and gave them one of three presentations about various STEM disciplines. One presentation attributed discoveries in the field to a man, a second presentation attributed the same discoveries to a woman, and a third presentation did not specify the scientist’s gender. Both men and women students who were exposed to the second presentation viewed the field as less interesting.
The authors write that their findings “are the result of gender stereotyping that takes what are supposedly male characteristics as better suited for research work than what are supposedly female characteristics.” The authors believe the best way to combat the reverse Matilda effect is to ensure children are exposed to both men and women scientists in media, which will in turn limit the belief in historical gender norms at an early age.