Social Media and STEM Stereotypes: Effects of Seeing Women Scientists with and without Visible Disabilities

Abstract

As the popularity of social media platforms has grown, STEM professionals have increasingly used them to communicate with broader audiences. The present study builds on the stereotype content model and gender schema theory by testing how exposure to an Instagram image of a woman scientist with a visible disability or an Instagram image of a women scientist without a visible disability shapes stereotypes of scientists. The study also investigates how patterns of social media use predict these stereotypes. The analyses draw on an experiment embedded in a national online survey (N = 1,050). The results indicate that seeing an image of a woman scientist with a visible disability led respondents to perceive scientists as warmer but not as more competent. Similarly, seeing an image of a woman scientist without a visible disability fostered perceptions of scientists as warmer but not as more competent. The results also reveal that overall Instagram use predicted more favorable perceptions of scientists. The findings extend theoretical accounts regarding stereotypes of scientists while also carrying implications for the use of Instagram and other social media platforms to promote positive perceptions of STEM professionals and counter barriers confronting women, including women with disabilities, in STEM professions.