Previous research has indicated that the science field is predominantly male. However, a new study is suggesting that the cause of the gender gap in the industry could be a result of males and females' preconceived notions, rather than their ability.

According to researchers from University of Colorado at Boulder, women had a general negative idea about the thought of females' place within the science industry. However, when researchers gave female test subjects the task of writing values affirmation exercises on topics such as friends and family, learning and music, their science course grades increased.

The study suggests that because some women may stress about the stereotypes of females and science, they may perform worse on exams. However, writing about positive aspects of their lives caused the women to let go of their inhibitions, therefore performing better on the physics exams.

"The research shows that if we affirm people's self integrity, you buffer them from other threats," said the study's co-author, Tiffany Ito. "Those women are sitting in a class consisting of predominantly men, and they might wonder if the men buy into the stereotype and think they're better at physics."

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