Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42135445›Full record

ArticleNature human behaviour2026

Remote delivery of STEM and entrepreneurship role models at scale changes college major choice in Ecuador.

Igor Asanov, Thomas Åstebro, Guido Buenstorf, Bruno Crépon, Francisco P Flores-Taipe, David McKenzie, Mona Mensmann, Mathis Schulte

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Nature human behaviour, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Igor AsanovInternational Center for Higher Education Research, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8091-4130
Thomas ÅstebroEconomics and Decision Sciences, HEC Paris, Jouy-en-Josas, France.
Guido BuenstorfInternational Center for Higher Education Research, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2957-5532
Bruno CréponDepartment of Economics, Ecole Nationale de la Statistique, Paris, France.
Francisco P Flores-TaipeInternational Center for Higher Education Research, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany.
David McKenzieDevelopment Research Group, The World Bank, Washington, DC, USA. dmckenzie@worldbank.org.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1885-2426
Mona MensmannFaculty of Management, Economics and Social Sciences (WiSo-Faculty), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3733-6854
Mathis SchulteOrganizational Behavior, HEC Paris, Jouy-en-Josas, France.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5196-4086

Funding

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation) EXC 2126/1 - 390838866World Bank Group (World Bank) SIEF Covid GrantWorld Bank Group (World Bank) SIEF Nimble FundWorld Bank Group (World Bank) SIEF Nimble Grant
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Youth often decide what to study with limited exposure to many high-paying careers. In-person visits from role models can change behaviour but are difficult to scale and typically expose youth to only one person in one career. We test the impact of exposing youth to multiple role models, in both science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and entrepreneurship careers, using online video interviews to intervene at large scale in a randomized trial with 29,243 students in 813 Ecuadorian high schools. Girls treated with multiple role models reduce their likelihood of choosing a STEM major, increasing enrolment in business majors instead. Boys also shift their major choice away from STEM and move towards other majors such as agriculture. The contrast between fields appears to shift youth away from what they see as the more challenging career and reinforces girls' stereotypical college major choice.

Indexed as

Career ChoiceEngineeringEntrepreneurshipMathematicsScienceStudentsTechnologyAdolescentEcuadorFemaleHumansMaleUniversities

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.