The impact of significant others on gender-atypical, gender-typical and gender-neutral study choices

Despite increasing interest in gender-atypical careers, few students actually enter a gender-atypical study field in Dutch higher education (higher professional education and university). For example, few females enter technical and science study fields and few males enter the field of health care. Our main aim was to investigate the perceived impact of significant others, such as parents and peers, on students’ study choices. The study included 2,102 students in higher education. They received a questionnaire and indicated in retrospect which studies they had considered, which study they eventually chose, which people had influenced their study choice, and what their advices were. The main finding was that, generally, students’ choices were supported by their significant others (especially parents), regardless whether they chose a gender-typical, gender-atypical, or gender-neutral study field.