Women Aren’t Choosing Math and Science…Because They’re Boy-Crazy?

Women now outnumber men in college and in many grad programs, yet females continue to be very underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. And researchers just discovered what might be to blame: romance.

By Zoe Ruderman

 

The study, out of the University at Buffalo, found that when women are trying to be romantically desirable to guys, they report less interest in math and science. “One reason why this might be is that pursuing intelligence goals in masculine fields [like math and science] conflicts with pursuing romantic goals associated with traditional romantic scripts and gender norms,” explained lead author of the study, Lora E. Park, PhD.

Related: How To Be A Good Girlfriend

Park, who observed 350 participants for this study, added, “Studies show that women who deviate from traditional gender norms, such as succeeding in male-typed jobs, experience backlash for violating societal expectations.”

Related: 4 Traits Men Find Irresistible

We found all of this super fascinating. (And we also got a kick out of the fact that the research was headed up by a woman who is funded by the National Science Foundation.) We’re interested to hear your thoughts, though

Original Story