Study: Some women avoid male service providers to sidestep stereotypes

By Staff Writer

A new report in the Journal of Consumer Research reveals that many women prefer to be helped by female service providers in certain situations because they fear ridicule around men.

The study, which was conducted by researchers from the University of Minnesota, Concordia University in Canada and Yonsei University in Korea, examined the behavior pattern of female shoppers. They found that many women avoided situations in which their business transaction involved a male employee and when it was related to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills.

A common misconception in North America is that women are inept in STEM-related subjects. Thus, many of the study's participants avoided dealing with men because they did not want to be the brunt of the stereotype.

However, in an bizarre exception to the trend, the team found that a vanilla-scented consumer environments reduced the participant's likelihood of choosing female providers over male workers.

Teens who suffer from low self-esteem or who are socially withdrawn because of stereotypes may benefit from boarding schools, which aim to provide a positive and fair environment for adolescents.