2021/03/23 by Yuko Ikkatai, Atsushi Inoue, Azusa Minamizaki +4 · 1 citation
Psychology · Social Sciences · #Climate Change Communication and Perception #Gender Roles and Identity Studies #Science Education and Perceptions
paper · doi:10.1177/09636625211002375
openalex publication_date 2021/03/23 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/25
Women are a minority in science, technology, engineering and mathematics academic careers. In particular, few women in Japan choose to study physics and mathematics. In this study, we investigated the factors contributing to the masculine image of physics and mathematics based on the framework of our expanded model. We conducted online questionnaire surveys in Japan and England, and found that physics and mathematics occupations, and mathematical stereotypes were both related to a masculine image. Only in Japan were social factors, such as a person's attitude to intellectual women, related to viewing mathematics as 'masculine'. However, the experience of being told or having heard that the choice of a particular course of studies would make someone less attractive to the opposite sex was evident only in England. This finding suggests that social factors affect the masculine image of physics and mathematics, and that this could vary depending on the country.