The stereotype(固有观念)of computer scientists as nerds who stay up all night coding and have no social life may be driving women away from the field, according to a new study published this month. This stereotype can be brought to mind based only on the appearance of the environment in a classroom or an office.
“When people think of computer science the image that immediately pops into many of their minds is about the computer geek(怪人)surrounded by such things as computer games, science fiction and junk food,”said Sapna Cheryan, a University of Washington assistant professor of psychology and the study’s lead author. “That stereotype doesn’t appeal to many women who don’t like the portrait of masculinity(男性化).”
Cheryan set up four experiments involving more than 250 female and male students who were not studying computer science to look at possible reasons why the proportion of women in the field is dropping while the proportion of women in such disciplines as biology, mathematics and chemistry is increasing.
In the first experiment,students entered a small classroom that either contained objects stereotypically associated with computer science such as Star Trek posters, video game boxes and Coke cans, or non-stereotypical items such as nature posters, art, a dictionary and coffee cups. The students were told to ignore these objects because the room was being shared with another class. After spending several moments in the classroom, the students filled out questionnaires(调查问卷)that asked about their attitude toward computer science.
Women exposed to the stereotypical setup expressed less interest in computer science than those who saw the non-stereotypical objects. Men placed in the same situations did not show a similar drop in interest in computer science. Cheryan said this study suggests that a student’s choice of classes or a major can be influenced by the appearance of classrooms, halls and offices.
1. The underlined word “nerds” in Paragraph 1 probably refers to “______”
A. dull persons B. active persons C. intelligent persons D. funny persons
2. Women are less likely to choose computer science because__________.
A. it is too difficult for them
B. they have wrong understanding of it
C. the lifestyle of computer scientists turns them away
D. they don’t like the social life of computer scientists
3. A woman would probably lose interest in computer science when she sees a ______.
A. Star Trek poster B. nature poster C. dictionary D. coffee cup
4. What can influence a woman’s choice of classes, according to the passage?
A. The contents of computer science.
B. The space in the classroom.
C. The number of students in the classroom.
D. The classroom environment.
