Sex Bias in Educational Software: The Effect of Designers' Stereotypes on the Software They Design¹

Abstract

Why is the computer more alluring to boys than it is to girls? One answer to this question is drawn from a social psychological model of human interaction. Social psychological research indicates that the expectations an individual has about another person can shape his or her interaction with that person. We hypothesized that, in a similar manner, the expectations software designers hold about the users of the software they design are central in determining the way the software they design interacts with the user. In order to test this notion, we had 43 educators with programming experience design software for either boys, girls, or students, and found that programs for girls were classifiable as "learning tools" while programs for both boys and students were most like "games." These differences occur as a function of the designers' expectations of the characteristics of potential users of the program, and result in sex stereotyped software. We conclude that it is not the computer, or even the software, that is at the root of the sex bias in software, but the expectations and stereotypes of the designers of the software.

Bias in computer systems

“…Some biases extend beyond computing to larger societal problems. An empirical result from work by Huff and Cooper [1987] on gender-bias in the design of educational software provides a helpful illustration. In their study, subjects were asked to propose designs for software to teach seventh graders the correct use of commas.…”

Drag-and-drop versus point-and-click mouse interaction styles for children

“…For example, girls and boys think about computers differently [Hall and Cooper 1991;Wilder et al 1985], have different motivations for using computers [Inkpen et al 1994; Upitis and Koch 1996], and have different preferences and usage styles [Lockheed 1985;Inkpen et al 1994;Lawry et al 1995]. Previous research has also shown that software designers incorporate their own gender biases into the software that they develop [Huff and Cooper 1987]. As a result, it is important that research on children's interactions with computers in educational environments be sensitive to gender differences such as these.…”

Information technology and the gender factor

“…Several studies have demonstrated that most computer software used in schools has a male-orientation (Kiesler et al 1985;Cooper, Hall and Huff, 1990;Huff and Cooper, 1987;Beyers 84). These softwares use masculine symbols such as 'guns, space missiles and warships' which are engaged in aggressive action and competition (13eyers, 1984).…”