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Who Chooses STEM Careers? Using A Relative Cognitive Strength and Interest Model to Predict Careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

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Abstract

Career aspirations in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are formulated in adolescence, making the high school years a critical time period for identifying the cognitive and motivational factors that increase the likelihood of future STEM employment. While past research has mainly focused on absolute cognitive ability levels in math and verbal domains, the current study tested whether relative cognitive strengths and interests in math, science, and verbal domains in high school were more accurate predictors of STEM career decisions. Data were drawn from a national longitudinal study in the United States (N = 1762; 48 % female; the first wave during ninth grade and the last wave at age 33). Results revealed that in the high-verbal/high-math/high-science ability group, individuals with higher science task values and lower orientation toward altruism were more likely to select STEM occupations. In the low-verbal/moderate-math/moderate-science ability group, individuals with higher math ability and higher math task values were more likely to select STEM occupations. The findings suggest that youth with asymmetrical cognitive ability profiles are more likely to select careers that utilize their cognitive strengths rather than their weaknesses, while symmetrical cognitive ability profiles may grant youth more flexibility in their options, allowing their interests and values to guide their career decisions.

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Funding

This project was supported by Grant HD074731-01 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development (NICHD).

Authors’ Contributions

MTW conceived of the study, participated in its design and coordination and drafted the manuscript; FY participated in the design and interpretation of the data and performed the statistical analysis; JLD participated in the interpretation of the data and drafted part of the manuscript. The second and third authors made equal intellectual contribution to the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Pittsburgh, 230 South Bouquet Street, Pittsburgh, 15213, PA, USA

    Ming-Te Wang & Feifei Ye

  2. Penn State University, Altoona,, 16601, PA, USA

    Jessica Lauren Degol

Authors
  1. Ming-Te Wang
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  2. Feifei Ye
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  3. Jessica Lauren Degol
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Correspondence to Ming-Te Wang.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. A review conducted by the Institutional Review Board approved the study to be consistent with the protection of the rights and welfare of human subjects and to meet the requirements of the Federal Guidelines.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Additional information

Jessica Lauren Degol and Feifei Ye made equal intellectual contribution to the manuscript.

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Wang, MT., Ye, F. & Degol, J.L. Who Chooses STEM Careers? Using A Relative Cognitive Strength and Interest Model to Predict Careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. J Youth Adolescence 46, 1805–1820 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-016-0618-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-016-0618-8

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