Attitudes towards technology based on stereotypes, self-categorisation and sense of control

摘要

This research examines social psychological explanations for the under-representation of women in careers in computing. Following a review of the literature, a paper questionnaire collected open response data from 524 participants from two age groups representing pre- and post- adolescence. Results regarding what constituted a typical computer user indicated a shift from same gender representations at ages 10-11 to a young male stereotype by the vast majority of 16-18 year-olds. Proportionally less computer use by adolescent girls than boys was reported alongside girls having fewer positive emotions with age. \ud\udAn online survey provided quantitative data from a further 672 participants and introduced additional age-groups of 13-14 year-olds, undergraduates and adults. It confirmed the transition from same gender to a stereotyped male representation of a typical computer user during adolescence and indicated this occurred around 13-14 years of age. Principal Component Analyses (PCA) of 24 pairs of Locus of Control measures for work/education and computing contexts suggested men had a higher sense of personal control in a computing context than general whereas for women this was the reverse. PCA of a 20-item semantic differential scale to represent emotional responses provided evidence of three factors: positive/negative emotions; engagement and emotionality which offered some gender differences and relationships with other variables. \ud\udA third study, of 179 undergraduates, related data from the online questionnaire to any effect on actual performance or self-rating on a computing task. Results showed that framing the task as evaluative and holding same-gender mental representations affected both performance and self-evaluation. This gave support to Stereotype Threat Theory (Steele & Aronson, 1995) in a computing context plus suggested factors that may prompt the opposite: Stereotype Lift (Walton & Cohen, 2003). \ud\udFinally, the results of all three studies are discussed in terms of cognitive, affective, behavioural and perceived control components of an overall attitude towards computers.