Eureka! Gender affects how we judge competence, genius
Tuesday, October 18, 2016 - 09:42
in Psychology & Sociology
Think of the word "genius," and a few images undoubtedly come to mind – perhaps a picture of Albert Einstein, of a scientist in a lab shouting “Eureka!” or of present-day theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking. Whatever mental picture is conjured up, chances are they all have one thing in common: The person is male. A new study that sought to determine whether perceptions of inventions and inventors are shaped by how they're described. Researchers looked at two metaphors that describe scientific discovery: a light bulb turning on, signifying a moment of brilliance, and a seed that is nurtured until it takes root.