Gender in Computer Science
SIGCSE
• SIGSCE is the Special Interest Group in Computer
Science Education
• I’ve just returned from the annual conference
• A common theme, this year and every year, is
attracting women to computer science--and
keeping them
• Many of these same comments apply to other
minorities
• I am very interested in this problem
What I can do
• Not much :(
• Most losses occur during the second year
• I can give you:
– some facts and figures
– some research results
– some opinions
Figures
• Enrollment in computer science programs reached
a peak in 1986, then declined until 1996
– There has been an upward trend from 1996 to 2000
– We don’t have figures past 2000
• In 1986, female enrollment reached a peak of 40%
• During the period 1986 to 1996:
– Men majoring in computer science dropped by 33%
– Women majoring in computer science dropped by 55%
– Other minorities also dropped by larger amounts than
white males
• Why?
Myths
• Both men and women incorrectly believe that men
in CS have higher GPAs than women
– Fact: There is no difference in GPAs
– Fact: In my MCIT program, there is no gender
difference in GREs of admitted students
• Women who succeed in CS are often viewed as
“exceptional”
– Fact: Women and men are equally capable
• Both groups do equally well on assignments
• Both groups do equally well on examinations
– Fact: Women do not have to be “better than men” to
succeed
Myths II
• Myth: Some people just have a “computer gene”
– Fact: From a biological standpoint, it’s obvious that
there is no such thing
– Fact: As with anything, there are individual differences
in ability
• It is commonly believed (among teachers) that
anyone can be taught to program
– Fact: If you work hard, you will succeed
• No one is born with these skills
– Fact: Many computer “hotshots” aren’t really very good
– My belief: There is a positive feedback loop between
enjoying an activity and being good at it
Myths III
• Computer programming is for “loners” and is
basically an antisocial (or at least nonsocial)
activity
– Fact: Prospective employers shun loners and look for
people who work well with others
– Fact: Large programs are group efforts
– Fact: Most programming methodologies are about how
to best organize the programming team
– Fact: In an educational setting, we typically insist on
individual effort, mostly in an attempt to grade fairly-but this does not reflect “real world” practice
Stereotypes
• Stereotype: Computer science majors are
intelligent but lack interpersonal skills
– Fact: Like all stereotypes, there are individuals who fit
the stereotype--but most do not
• Stereotype: Successful computer science majors
“don’t have a life” but spend all their time at the
computer
– Fact: Almost all computer scientists do have a life
– Fact: However, CS majors do spend significantly more
time on schoolwork than non-CS majors
– In my personal experience: Obsessive programmers are
less likely to succeed
Gender NON-differences
• Research results show no significant differences
between men and women in:
–
–
–
–
–
College GPA
ACT math, science, and composite scores
Interest in majoring in CS
Belief that CS is a worthwhile major
Number of hours per week spent on schoolwork
• But: CS majors spend more time than non-majors
– Age of first computer use
– Knowledge of what CS is all about
More gender NON-differences
• Estimate of how many hours computer scientists
work
– But: Differences in estimated compensation
– Fact: Women are, on average, not as well paid as men
– Fact: The difference is much less in the computer field
• Importance placed on having a family
• Belief that family life and career would be
compatible for women
• Stress level
• Support and encouragement from others
• Self esteem
Real gender differences
• Research results show these statistically
significant differences
– Men have higher educational aspirations
– Men value extrinsic rewards (e.g. money) more
– Men are higher in aggressiveness and dominance
• But: No difference in kindness or nurturing
– Biggest difference: Men are more confident of their
own ability
Confidence
• Confidence in ability to write a computer program:
– Students with high math ACT scores
• Male CS majors: 63%
• Male non-CS majors: 60%
• Female CS majors: 48%
• Female non-CS majors: 44%
– Students with low math ACT scores
• Male CS majors: 53%
• Male non-CS majors: 49%
• Female CS majors: 37%
• Female non-CS majors: 34%
Especially interesting:
High-scoring female CS
students vs. low-scoring
male non-CS students
Why women drop out
• According to one study, females suffer a loss of
interest in the field, preceded by a loss of selfconfidence
• Probable causes of loss of confidence:
– Inaccurate belief that women have lower ability
– Lack of awareness of excellent income opportunities
– Conflict between a woman’s view of herself and
(inaccurate) stereotype of “computer nerds”
– “Stereotype threat”: Fear of confirming the stereotype
– Less playful and relaxed attitude toward computers
Factors undermining self confidence
• (Note: These are opinions, not research results)
• Computer science is hard--everyone has difficulty
• Men are less willing than women to admit to
having difficulties, hence often appear more
capable than they really are
• The field is wide as well as deep: “You’re a
computer science major and you don’t know that?”
• In programming, virtually all your mistakes are
stupid ones--everyone’s mistakes are stupid ones-and it’s easy to mistake this for a personal failing
Interesting tidbits
• Percentage of women earning a bachelor’s degree
is significantly lower if the CS department is in
the College of Engineering rather than in the
College of Arts and Sciences
• Under-representation of women in CS appears to
be a cultural problem
– Not true in historically black colleges and universities
– Not true in Greece, Turkey, France, Italy
• In one study, 30% of self-rated “code warriors”
failed an assignment, compared to 15% of
“code-a-phobes”
Conclusions
• These studies suggest that women lose interest in
computer science because of:
– The mis-perception that they are not as capable as other
(especially male) students
– The (accurate) perception that they do not conform to
the (mostly inaccurate) stereotype of computer “nerds”
• The foregoing is presented in the hope that having
some actual information on gender differences
will help some of you in your college careers
The End