RESEARCH: How stereotypes about self-perceived brilliance shape women’s decisions to study psychology or philosophy

 While women consistently excel academically in high school and college, they continue to confront the stereotype that brilliance is predominantly linked to men. This significantly affects their choice of majors and perpetuates gender disparities in academia, according to a new study by a Concordia interdisciplinary team.

Philosophy and psychology have historical and thematic connections but exhibit inverse gender gaps. Philosophy usually attracts more men as students, while psychology tends to attract more women as students, starting at the undergraduate level and continuing through graduate studies and careers.

The study involved 467 undergraduate students across the United States and Canada, revealing that personal beliefs about brilliance played a significant role in shaping students' academic decisions. Women who perceived themselves as lower in brilliance more often chose to study psychology, a field perceived as requiring less brilliance, over philosophy, a field perceived as requiring more brilliance. In contrast, men's choices were less influenced by their self-perceived brilliance. 

These findings emphasize the need to address socialized beliefs about the gendered nature of brilliance to reduce disparities across academic disciplines and provide opportunities for capable individuals, regardless of gender or background.  

The research team included Concordia’s Maxine Iannuccilli, Katharina Nieswandt, Kristen Dunfield, and Ulf Hlobil, and first author Heather M. Maranges, who is now a research fellow in the Department of Human Development and Family Science at Florida State University. The research was funded by the Horizon Fellowship awarded to Maranges and a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada grant awarded to Concordia’s Katharina Nieswandt.