KID NEWS: Girls More Likely Than Boys to Think a Lack of Talent Makes Them Fail

Boys and girls have very different experiences in life.

A survey of more than 500,000 students, in 72 countries, has found that girls are more likely than boys to think that a lack of talent makes them fail in school.  This included kids from the United States.  And it was even true among girls who had similar academic performance as boys.

In nearly all of the countries included in the survey, there was a “gender-brilliance” stereotype, which portrays men as more intelligent or more talented than women.

Researchers from France say this stereotype may later hold women back, in careers which are thought to require intelligence…  And it could be related to gender differences in competitiveness, self-confidence, and willingness to work in male-dominated occupations such as information and communication technology.

In turn, this may all contribute to the so-called “glass ceiling,” or cultural and social barriers, which prevent women from advancing in certain professions.