2742 Implicit Predictors of Engineering Persistence

Monday, February 21, 2011: 10:15 AM
158AB (Washington Convention Center )
Fred Smyth , University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
Computer science and engineering remain disproportionately male at the collegiate level, with the greatest disparity in the latter. Implicit social cognition research demonstrates that self- and group-associations operating without conscious awareness are related to critical science outcomes such as choice of major and performance on gatekeeper tests. This study examines the developmental trajectories and influences of implicit mindsets on the retention of highly qualified engineering students.