Until recently, the vast majority of female student images of scientists were versions of white males working alone in laboratory settings (Barman et al. 1997). As a result, the authors asked the question, “What phenomenon is responsible for the recent change in female students’ mental images of scientists?” They suggest that the popular Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) television series and other television programming have greatly influenced how students, especially female students, perceive scientists at work. Evidence for the “CSI effect” was found in drawings from 388 middle school students asked to participate in the Draw-A-Scientist Test (DAST) activity. The procedures and results of this fascinating study are described in this article.
Details
Type Journal ArticlePub Date 11/1/2006Stock # ss06_030_03_38Volume 030Issue 03