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Author: Grieger, Lloyd D.
Resulting in 3 citations.
1. Gabay-Egozi, Limor
Grieger, Lloyd D.
Nitsche, Natalie
Brothers, Sisters, and STEM Majoring: Is a Younger Sibling's Choice of College Major Affected by the Firstborn's Sex and Ability in Math?
Presented: Austin TX, Population Association of America Annual Meeting, April 2019
Cohort(s): Children of the NLSY79
Publisher: Population Association of America
Keyword(s): Brothers; College Major/Field of Study/Courses; Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT- Math); Siblings; Sisters; STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics)

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Though women reached parity with men in terms of college attendance, fewer women choose STEM majors. We examine whether the compositional characteristics of a sib-group are associated with a younger sibling's decision to pursue a STEM major in college. Theoretically, we conjoin and extend sociological theories that link sib-group configuration and educational attainment to STEM majoring. Empirically, we use data from the children of the NLSY79-cohort and find that sib-group size is negatively associated with pursuing a STEM major. We show that math ability of the firstborn is positively associated with a sibling’s choice of a STEM major in college, but only among same-sex siblings. Finally, number of brothers is positively associated with choosing a STEM major for both girls and boys. Our work is the first to provide evidence about the link between sib-group compositional characteristics and the choice of college major by younger siblings in the U.S.
Bibliography Citation
Gabay-Egozi, Limor, Lloyd D. Grieger and Natalie Nitsche. "Brothers, Sisters, and STEM Majoring: Is a Younger Sibling's Choice of College Major Affected by the Firstborn's Sex and Ability in Math?" Presented: Austin TX, Population Association of America Annual Meeting, April 2019.
2. Gabay-Egozi, Limor
Nitsche, Natalie
Grieger, Lloyd D.
"Setting the Tone": Sex of the First Child and Educational Outcomes of Subsequent Siblings
Presented: San Diego CA, Population Association of America Annual Meeting, April-May 2015
Cohort(s): Children of the NLSY79, NLSY79 Young Adult
Publisher: Population Association of America
Keyword(s): Birth Order; College Major/Field of Study/Courses; Gender Attitudes/Roles; Parental Influences; Parenting Skills/Styles; Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT- Math); Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT- Reading); Siblings; Sociability/Socialization/Social Interaction; STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics)

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Despite the large influx of women into higher education, gender segregation in STEM college majors persists. Sibship composition has been a major focus in explaining vertical gender differences in educational attainment, yet studies looking at sibling dynamics in understanding horizontal gender segregation have been rare. We close this gap, suggesting a new line of thought. We hypothesize that the sex of the first child 'sets the tone' for a gendered environment in the family, which subsequently impacts gendered self-concepts, interests and eventually choice of college major of subsequent siblings. Using data from the NLSY79 Youth and Children, we investigate whether second born girls with older brothers are more likely to choose a college major in a predominantly male field, compared to girls with older sisters. In particular, we examine whether having an older brother increases the likelihood for girls with above average math skills to choose STEM majors.
Bibliography Citation
Gabay-Egozi, Limor, Natalie Nitsche and Lloyd D. Grieger. ""Setting the Tone": Sex of the First Child and Educational Outcomes of Subsequent Siblings." Presented: San Diego CA, Population Association of America Annual Meeting, April-May 2015.
3. Gabay-Egozi, Limor
Nitsche, Natalie
Grieger, Lloyd D.
In Their Footsteps or Shadow? Gender Differences in Choosing a STEM Major as a Function of Sibling Configuration and Older Sibling's Gender and Math Ability
Sex Roles published online (27 November 2021): DOI: 10.1007/s11199-021-01255-0.
Also: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11199-021-01255-0
Cohort(s): Children of the NLSY79, NLSY79 Young Adult
Publisher: Springer
Keyword(s): Birth Order; Cognitive Ability; College Major/Field of Study/Courses; Family Size; Family Structure; Gender Differences; Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT- Math); Siblings; STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics)

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Although the association between siblings' compositional characteristics and educational performance has been extensively studied, the question of whether the features of a sibling group are related to substantive gendered educational preferences has not been examined. Our analysis of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 cohort (NLSY-79) Mothers and Children Files (N = 1545; 57% young women; 22% STEM major) showed that siblings' compositional characteristics matter for STEM major preferences in college, but only for young women. Our findings indicated that women were more likely to prefer a STEM major if they were raised in smaller sibling groups, in male sibling group dominance, and if they had an older sister with high math achievement. These results are in line with the resource dilution approach; they shed light on the effects of being in a normative male-role sibling group climate; and they suggest that gendered outcomes are shaped by the interplay of role modeling and same-gender competitive stimulation. We also found that for young men, their preference for majoring in a STEM field was mostly driven by their own math ability. These findings suggest that socialization experiences that operate on the sibling level play a crucial role in whether girls become interested in and pursue "gender-atypical" educational choices. Our findings also underscore the need to differentiate these theoretical approaches by gender, particularly when applied to gendered outcomes such as STEM career trajectories.
Bibliography Citation
Gabay-Egozi, Limor, Natalie Nitsche and Lloyd D. Grieger. "In Their Footsteps or Shadow? Gender Differences in Choosing a STEM Major as a Function of Sibling Configuration and Older Sibling's Gender and Math Ability." Sex Roles published online (27 November 2021): DOI: 10.1007/s11199-021-01255-0.