Skilled or Gullibleƒ Gender Stereotypes Related to Computer Security and Privacy

Abstract

Gender stereotypes remain common in U.S. society and harm people of all genders. Focusing on binary genders (women and men) as a first investigation, we empirically study gender stereotypes related to computer security and privacy. We used Prolific to conduct two surveys with U.S. participants that aimed to: (1) surface potential gender stereotypes related to security and privacy (N = 202), and (2) assess belief in gender stereotypes about security and privacy engagement, personal characteristics, and behaviors (N = 190). We find that stereotype beliefs are significantly correlated with participants’ gender as well as level of sexism, and we delve into the justifications our participants offered for their beliefs. Beyond scientifically studying the existence and prevalence of such stereotypes, we describe potential implications, including biasing crowdworker-faciliated user research. Further, our work lays a foundation for deeper investigations of the impacts of stereotypes in computer security and privacy, as well as stereotypes across the whole gender and identity spectrum.