>> KELLY IS HERE. THE STORY IS FASCINATING.
>> FASCINATING OR DEPRESSING. HI, EVERYBODY.
EVEN AS GENDER ROLES ARE CHANGING SLOWLY.
A STUDY FROM NYU AND PRINCETON IS SHOWING SOME NEGATIVE
STEREOTYPES EXIST, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR GIRLS.
THE RESULTS SO EYE-OPENING, WE WANTED TO GO CHECK IT OUT FOR
OURSELVES. >> ARE YOU SMART?
ARE YOU? >> I'M LIKE THIS SMART.
>> MEDIUM? YOU'RE SMART.
ARE YOU VERY SMART OR MEDIUM SMART.
>> VERY SMART. >> DO LITTLE GIRLS T THINK THEY
ARE JUST AS SMART AS BOYS? THAT IS THE QUESTION THAT DROVE
NYU PSYCHOLOGIST AND PRINCETON PHILOSOPHER'S LATEST RESEARCH.
FOR THE STUDY 400 BOYS AND GIRLS, AGES 5 TO 7, ANSWERED
QUESTIONS. >> WHY LITTLE CHILDREN?
WHY DID YOU GO TO THE 5-YEAR-OLD, 6-YEAR-OLD AND
7-YEAR-OLDS. >> WE KNOW CHILDREN ARE
INCREDIBLE SOCIAL SPONGES. THEY SOAK UP ALL THE CUES IN
THEIR ENVIRONMENTS. IF THESE EXIST IN THEIR
ENVIRONMENT, THEY ARE LIKE LIKEY TO PICK UP ON THEM.
>> SIT IN THE RED CHAIR. >> TO DEMONSTRATE HOW IT WAS
DONE WE RECRUITED 26 CHILDREN IN A SCHOOL IN A NEW YORK SUBURB
USING THE SAME METHOD AS AND UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF THE LEAD
RESEARCHER AND HER TEAM. TAKE A LOOK.
>> I'M LOOKING AT A PICTURE OF A CHILD NOW.
THE CHILD IN THIS PICTURE CAN ALWAYS ANSWER EVEN THE HARDEST
QUESTION FROM THE TEACHER. IS THIS CHILD SMART, NOT SMART,
ARE YOU NOT SURE? >> SMART.
>> SMART. >> THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
I'M GOING TO TELL YOU SOME STORIES.
>> THEN THEY WERE TOLD A STORY WITH NO GENDER ASSIGNED.
>> SO THERE ARE LOTS OF PEOPLE AT THE PLACE I WORK.
BUT THERE IS ONE PERSON WHO IS REALLY SMART.
CAN YOU GUESS WHICH ONE IS REALLY, REALLY SMART?
>> KIDS HAD TO CHOOSE WHO WAS SMART, THE MAN OR THE WOMAN.
>> WHICH ONE DO YOU THINK IT IS? >> THE RESULTS WERE SURPRISING,
ESPECIALLY TO MOTHERS OF YOUNG GIRLS.
>> I CAN SEE THE BOYS AT THAT AGE PICKING BOYS, BECAUSE THEY
ARE BOYS, BUT AT THIS POINT THE GIRLS ALSO.
>> WE NEED TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM.
WE NEED TO ADDRESS IT NOW. >> STEREOTYPES ABOUT WHO CAN BE
SMART, THEY ARE LIMITING OUR LITTLE GIRLS CHOICES,
ASPIRATIONS, BELIEVES ABOUT WHAT THEY CAN AND CAN'T DO WITH THEIR
LIVES. IT'S STARTING AT AGE SIX.
IF WE'RE HAVING A DISCUSSION ABOUT COLLEGE KIDS, 18, THAT'S
12 YEARS OF BEING GUIDED BY THESE STEREOTYPES.
>> AND IT'S TOO LATE. >> IT'S TOO LATE.
>> THE RESEARCHERS FOUND SUBTLE CHANGES AND PERCEPTIONS ABOUT
WHO IS SMART START AT A VERY YOUNG AGE.
THE STUDY'S AUTHORS INSIST, SHOCKER, AVERAGE IQ OF BOYS AND
GIRLS HAPPEN TO BE IDENTICAL. >> WAS IT OVERWHELMING?
DID THE GIRLS CONTINUOUSLY PICK MALES.
>> LET'S JUST SAY YOU'LL BE CRYING IN YOUR SUIT.
THERE'S A PLAN, WHETHER WE'RE RAISING BOYS OR GIRLS OR MEMBERS
OF SOCIETY, THE MESSAGES WE'RE SENDING TO OUR CHILDREN ARE A
LITTLE OFF. >> HAVE TO POUND IT IN THEIR
HEADS. I HAVE A TWO AND FOUR-YEAR-OLD
GIRL AND EVERY DAY I TRY TO SAY THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN'T DO.
YOU CAN DO ANYTHING. >> WHAT ARE THE MESSAGES THEY
ARE SOAKING UP. >> I DON'T WANT TO GIVE AWAY THE
WHOLE STORY BUT LET ME SAY IT'S NOT JUST UP TO YOU.
WHATEVER MESSAGING YOU'RE GIVING YOUR CHILD, IT'S NOT UP TO YOU.
WAIT UM YOU SEE HOW BAKED INTO SOCIETY THIS MESSAGE IS.
AND THE ACTION PLAN AFTERWARDS. >> BOOK SMARTS AND COMMON SENSE
SMARTS, TOO. I FEEL LYING THAT COULD CHANGE
THINGS. >> ABSOLUTELY.
THESE FOUR VERY SMART WOMEN ARE GOING TO STICK AROUND WITH THESE
TWO MEDIUM SMART GUYS HERE. >> BY THE WAY, YOU CAN SEE