Date of Project

4-30-2020

Document Type

Honors Thesis

School Name

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Psychology

Major Advisor

Dr. Christy Wolfe

Second Advisor

Dr. Ainsley Lambert-Swain

Third Advisor

Dr. Hank Rothgerber

Abstract

When entering higher education, young adults are presented with a multitude of choice. Choosing a major, let alone a career, is a daunting task. In this thesis, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) careers are the focus. Why is it that, in modern day, there are still great disparities among women and sexual minorities within STEM? Women and sexual minorities have the interest; the issue lies within social support, as well as assumed gender roles. This thesis explores how differing measures of gender (in order to capture a participant's gender identity and gender expression) are vital to understanding more of their experience, and the role that this social identity piece plays within their choices. Due to the timing of data collection and analysis, this thesis presents preliminary data, as well as suggestions for future research.

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