Judgments and reasoning about exclusion from counter-stereotypic STEM career choices in early childhood

To investigate young children's evaluations of counter-stereotypic career choices, children (ages 3-8 years, N = 141) made judgments about the acceptability of pursuing STEM careers that were gender counter-stereotypic (atypical for one's gender) and about the acceptability of exclusion from such careers. Participants evaluated European-American or African-American girls and boys who wanted to pursue counter-stereotypic careers. Generally, children supported counter-stereotypic career choices and evaluated exclusion from these careers to be unacceptable. However, results indicated that younger children judged counter-stereotypic career choices as less acceptable than did older children, and that parental attitudes and beliefs toward science and math were related to children's evaluations. Differences in reasoning and based on the gender of the target were also identified. Additionally, results indicate that ethnic minority children may evaluate counter-stereotypic choices as less acceptable than do ethnic majority participants, but no differences based on target ethnicity were found. The findings suggest the importance of discouraging the use of stereotypes about careers among young children.