– Non-biology STEM majors showed lower person-oriented (PO) and higher thing-oriented (TO) interests than biology and health majors. Non-biology STEM majors also endorsed PO and TO interests at similar levels, but the other two major groups indicated higher PO than TO.
– People Jobs were perceived to more likely afford goals related to family and positive social impact; whereas Thing Jobs were perceived to more likely afford status goals.
– Interest in People Jobs was similar for women in both STEM major groups. Female non-biology STEM majors were equally interested in People and Thing Jobs; whereas biology majors preferred People Jobs.
– PO, TO, and goal affordance ratings independently predicted interest in People and Thing Jobs, and gender accounted for very little additional variance.
– Taken together, the findings point to the importance of using both person-thing orientation and role congruity theory when explaining varied gender representations in different STEM fields.
– Findings suggest that gender differences in thing-orientation and in degree to which occupations are perceived to afford Status and Social Impact goals might partially explain why there is a gender gap in some STEM majors and fields but not others.