Will it Sink or Float? No Gender Differences in Five- to Seven-year-old Children’s Persistence on a Science Task

Recent studies suggest that girls as young as four years of age persist less than boys on science tasks, and that this may be driven by negative gender-STEM stereotypes. However, to date no studies have tested the presumed link between gender-STEM stereotypes and science task persistence. The reported preregistered study involving 109 5- to 7-year-old children from a suburb in the Eastern region of the US (58% White, 9% Asian, 3% Latinx, 2% Black/African American, 28% mixed race/ethnicity; average socioeconomic status above the national average) aimed to replicate previous findings of gender differences in science task persistence using a physical sink-or-float science task and test if any differences were related to stereotyping. No gender difference in science-task persistence was found, and Bayesian analysis indicated moderate support for the null hypothesis of no gender effect. Instead, task accuracy and enjoyment predicted persistence. There was mixed evidence of gender-STEM stereotypes, and stereotypes did not relate to persistence on the science task. These findings call for a reconsideration of previous results and suggest future directions for research on the origins of gender differences in STEM engagement.