Morganson et al discuss the role of coping strategies in retaining women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) majors in college. The authors posited that coping strategies help women to deal with the often “chilly” atmosphere present in STEM majors and “overcome barriers and mitigate stress at various stages in one’s career path.” Morganson et al use a definition of coping as “a tool that enables individuals to deal with challenges and problems in their environments (Folkman & Moskowitz, 2004). (Morganson et al, 2010)
Morganson et al found that men typically use coping mechanisms such as attempting to change or ignoring the stressor while women utilize social support coping more frequently (Tamres et al, 2002; Carver et al, 1989). Women are traditionally seen as being more “communal and relationship-oriented” than men, and will more commonly look “to others for emotional support as a way of dealing with challenges and seeking aid from others to overcome stressors (Carver et al, 1989). Different coping strategies work differently depending on the gender of the person using them. (Morganson et al, 2010)
Morganson et al conducted a survey of college students in STEM majors to link the use of different coping mechanisms to turnover intent and academic performance. In agreement with their research, the authors found that women used social coping more than men did, and that, for women, social coping was positively correlated to commitment to one’s major. For men, however, the authors found that social coping was not related to commitment to one’s major and, in fact, was negatively related to academic performance. Women, on the other hand, did not report a change in academic performance with an increase in the use of social coping. (Morganson et al, 2010)
Morganson et al repeatedly use the term “chilly” to describe STEM fields of study