Women are less likely than men to become computer programmers, philosophers or nuclear physicists because they underestimate their ability, a study in the journal Science suggests.
It found that women were under-represented in fields in which natural talent was valued over hard work. The US researchers said society stereotypes successful men as having a special spark of brilliance. Successful women are portrayed as diligent.
Study author Sarah-Jane Leslie, of Princeton University, cited the Hermione Granger character in the Harry Potter books: "Women who are presented as intellectually accomplished tend like Hermione to also be portrayed as incredibly hardworking", rather than brilliant.
Professor Leslie asked 1,800 academics what was needed to be successful. Women were under-represented in subjects dominated by researchers who put a premium on brilliance, such as maths, physics, computing and philosophy. There were more women in areas where hard work was seen as more important.
University of Illinois Professor Andrei Cimpian said: "It is most likely that [this] is not the result of actual differences in intellectual ability but rather the result of perceived or presumed differences."
