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ERIC Number: EJ1013646
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0965-948X
EISSN: N/A
Emotions or Science? Pre-Tertiary Males' Accounts of Psychology as a Subject Choice
Mercer, Jenny; Sander, Paul; Williams, Stella; Jones, Tim
Psychology Teaching Review, v19 n1 p9-20 Spr 2013
It is well established that the number of males studying psychology in the UK, both at A-level and on degree courses, is disproportionately low compared to females. There is a paucity of research, however, which discusses how psychology is viewed by this group. The present study employed focus groups with 35 pre-tertiary males (some of whom were studying psychology and some of whom were not) to discuss their perceptions of the discipline in terms of its scientific status and gendered associations with females. A thematic analysis revealed that participants positioned psychology as 'a sort' of science, with a diverse subject base, much of which was not considered appropriate or relevant for males to study. The implications of this are discussed in terms of the inherent challenges it reveals in attracting men to study psychology, debating what could be done to make the discipline more appealing to males.
British Psychological Society, Division for Teachers & Researchers in Psychology. St Andrews House, 48 Princess Road East, Leicester, LE1 7DR, UK. Tel: +44-1162-529551; Fax: +44-1162-271314; e-mail: directmail@bps.org.uk; Web site: http://www.bps.org.uk/ptr
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A