Environments and Career Selections (12-30-09)

We’ve all had the sensation of walking into a space and feeling that we do, or don’t belong there. Cheryan, Plaut, Davis, and Steele call this sensation “ambient belonging.”  They determined that the science fiction memorabilia, junk food, and other typical attributes of spaces where computer “geeks” work repel women.  The researchers substituted nature posters for science fiction images and coffee cups for soda cans, for example, and found that women were more interested in pursuing computer science related activities after these modifications were made. Typical computer science offices may also be dissuading men from pursuing computer science.  The researchers conclude “altering a group’s image by changing their environments can therefore inspire those who previously had little or no interest in pursuing the group to express newfound interest in it.” Place design matters, and is particularly crucial at critical historic junctures, such as during contemporary campaigns to increase the number of computer science practitioners to keep pace with increased demand for technical services.

Sapna Cheryan, Victoria Plaut, Paul Davis, and Claude Steele.  2009.  “Ambient Belonging:  How Stereotypical Cues Impact Gender Participation in Computer Science.”  Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 97, no. 6, pp. 1045-1060