First woman to appear when you search ‘CEO’ in Google Images is Barbie
Studies find stereotype exaggeration and systematic under-representation of women in search results
PHOTO: ONLINE
Ever searched the term “CEO” on Google Images? If you have, you may have noticed something strange.
Among all the men that appear in the search, a Barbie doll donning a suit, standing beside a desk with a laptop, is seen in the midst of all the men CEOs.
Earlier, The Verge had reported results the University of Washington published in a study that suggested people’s perceptions of certain careers can be influenced by search engine results.
The BBC said the study’s authors found “stereotype exaggeration and systematic under-representation of women in search results”.
University of Washington said that where a gender didn’t meet an occupational stereotype, search results were more likely to be “provocative or inappropriate”.
“A number of the top hits depicting women as construction workers are models in skimpy little costumes with a hard hat posing suggestively on a jackhammer. You get things that nobody would take as professional,” study co-author Cynthia Matuszek said.
Further, an analysis of Google Image results found that in some professions, women were massively underrepresented in comparison to reality.
For example, in the images found by a search of “author”, 25% of the subjects were female – compared to the actual 56% figure in the United States.
However, with professions such as nurse (86%) and engineer (13%), the search engine results were within 5% of the actual figures.
Participants of the study were asked what proportion of men and women worked in certain professions, then two weeks later, showed them the results.
They were asked again.
Some changed their mind the second time round and the study accredited 7% of the change to them being shown the search results.
Co-author Sean Munson declared: “Our hope is that this will become a question that designers of search engines might actually ask. They may come to a range of conclusions, but I would feel better if people are at least aware of the consequences and are making conscious choices around them.”
This article originally appeared on Buzzfeed.
Among all the men that appear in the search, a Barbie doll donning a suit, standing beside a desk with a laptop, is seen in the midst of all the men CEOs.
Earlier, The Verge had reported results the University of Washington published in a study that suggested people’s perceptions of certain careers can be influenced by search engine results.
The BBC said the study’s authors found “stereotype exaggeration and systematic under-representation of women in search results”.
University of Washington said that where a gender didn’t meet an occupational stereotype, search results were more likely to be “provocative or inappropriate”.
“A number of the top hits depicting women as construction workers are models in skimpy little costumes with a hard hat posing suggestively on a jackhammer. You get things that nobody would take as professional,” study co-author Cynthia Matuszek said.
Further, an analysis of Google Image results found that in some professions, women were massively underrepresented in comparison to reality.
For example, in the images found by a search of “author”, 25% of the subjects were female – compared to the actual 56% figure in the United States.
However, with professions such as nurse (86%) and engineer (13%), the search engine results were within 5% of the actual figures.
Participants of the study were asked what proportion of men and women worked in certain professions, then two weeks later, showed them the results.
They were asked again.
Some changed their mind the second time round and the study accredited 7% of the change to them being shown the search results.
Co-author Sean Munson declared: “Our hope is that this will become a question that designers of search engines might actually ask. They may come to a range of conclusions, but I would feel better if people are at least aware of the consequences and are making conscious choices around them.”
This article originally appeared on Buzzfeed.