Tracing the Gender Confidence Gap in Computing: A Cross-National Meta-Analysis of Gender Differences in Self-Assessed Technological Ability

Abstract

The gender composition of information and communication technology (ICT) fields remain uneven across countries. One explanation is that gender stereotypes lead women to believe that they do not have the same aptitude for ICT fields as men, resulting in a deficit in women's self-assessed tech ability. Yet, studies on ICT confidence document wide variation in both the direction and magnitude of gender differences. This study asks whether there is, in fact, a gendered confidence gap in technological ability. Methods of meta-analysis evaluate gender differences in tech confidence based on the results of 120 effect sizes from 115 studies conducted in 22 countries from 1990 to 2019. While men report higher levels of self-assessed tech abilities compared to women, the gap is narrowing over time. Further, significant cross-national variation undermines essentialist explanations that imply universal sex differences. Rather, results are consistent with theorizing that emphasizes variations in cultural gender beliefs and opportunities.