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IZA Discussion Paper No. 18226
October 2025
Stereotypes, Awareness, and STEM Major Choice
Maria De Paola, Patrizia Ordine, Giuseppe Rose

This study examines whether awareness of implicit gender-science stereotypes influences university enrollment in STEM fields. We designed a randomized controlled trial involving 566 Italian high school seniors, combining surveys with an Implicit Association Test to measure unconscious biases. Before students finalized their university enrollment, a treatment group received personalized feedback on their IAT scores, while a control group received no information. Results show that revealing implicit stereotypes significantly reshapes educational choices, but with sharply contrasting gender effects. For women—who initially exhibited stronger stereotypes—feedback increased the probability of enrolling in STEM majors. Conversely, men with strong stereotypes who received feedback became less likely to choose STEM fields. These results highlight that awareness of implicit biases can be a powerful yet double-edged tool for addressing gender gaps in STEM education.

Communications
Mark Fallak
mark.fallak@liser.lu
+352 585-855-526
World of Labour
Olga Nottmeyer
olga.nottmeyer@liser.lu
+352 585-855-501
Network Coordination
Christina Gathmann
christina.gathmann@liser.lu

The IZA@LISER Network is a global community of scholars dedicated to excellence in labor economics and related fields, now coordinated at the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER) following its transition from Bonn.

About IZA@LISER Network
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