Gender-Stereotype Messaging Impacts Perceptions of the Field of Speech-Language Pathology.

Purpose: The field of speech-language pathology has been and remains predominantly female, despite efforts aimed at increasing gender diversity. This study sought to determine if gender-based stereotype messaging influences students' perceptions of the field of speech-language pathology and if exposure to messaging with a short video would change student impressions of the speech-language pathology profession. Method: A total of 472 undergraduate students were recruited to participate in this study and were randomly assigned to three exposure conditions: (a) male-stereotype video, (b) female-stereotype video, and (c) no video. Student perceptions were evaluated with a survey, and participants' demographicdatawerecollected including age, race/ethnicity, academic standing, and self-reported gender identity. Results: Overall, female participants expressed higher interest in the speech-language pathology profession, felt they would be more successful in an speech-language pathology career, perceived the field of speech-language pathology to have a higher social status, and were more likely to express interest in an speech-language pathology career than male participants. However, participants who viewed the male-stereotype video, regardless of gender, perceived the field of speech-language pathology as more scientific and reported that speech-language pathologists had greater autonomy in the field and had achieved a higher social status. Additionally, participants perceived the field of speech-language pathology as more masculine if they viewed the male-stereotype video and as more feminine if they viewed the female-stereotype video. Conclusion: The results of this work demonstrate that gender-stereotype career messaging is highly influential in student perceptions of the field and should be considered when motivating students to pursue speech-language pathology as a profession.