Gender stereotypes regarding academic abilities, such as the common notion that females are innately bad at science and math, are largely influential in girls’ career decisions (Nosek et al., 2008). The internalization of these negative stereotypes later contributes to girls’ academic self-concept (i.e., evaluations of their academic abilities and performance; Ertl et al., 2017). Academic self-concept, in turn, influences career decisions through the expectancy-value theory of achievement motivation, which posits that people make decisions about which activities to pursue based on their beliefs about how well they will perform (Wigfield & Eccles, 2000). According to this theory, girls will be motivated to choose courses of study for career paths that they believe they will thrive in based on the stereotypes with which they are presented (Ertl et al., 2017; Wigfield et al., 2002). One specific way in which stereotypes negatively impact girls’ academic self-concept is through stereotype threat (i.e., the risk that members of traditionally marginalized groups might confirm a negative generalization about their group; Ertl et al., 2017; Steele & Aronson, 1995). Specifically, when girls are presented with and internalize stereotypes about their academic abilities, they tend to perform worse in science and math subjects compared to their male peers (Shapiro & Williams, 2012). It is precisely this combination of decreased performance and subsequent lower academic self-concept that disincentivizes girls to pursue STEM related studies and careers (Ertl et al., 2017; Rost et al., 2005; Shapiro & Williams, 2012; Steele & Aronson, 1995).Gender stereotypes also influence academic self-concept through social relationships and interactions (Ertl et al., 2017; Rost et al., 2005). Specifically, parents and teachers project their own gender stereotypes onto children through their assessment and appraisal of academic abilities that align with the stereotype (Ertl et al., 2017). For example, when girls receive encouragement for their success in traditionally femaledominated subjects (e.g., English or history), they further internalize these stereotypes into their academic self-concepts (Ertl et al., 2017). Sometimes, these stereotypes exert such a powerful influence on girls’ perceptions of the world that they are unaware of opportunities in traditionally male sectors, such as STEM fields (Eccles, 1994). This lack of awareness may translate to a complete dismissal of nontraditional career paths (e.g., in STEM), further contributing to the gender gap (Eccles, 1994). Clearly, gender stereotypes perpetuated through social relationships have exceptional influence over girls’ academic self-concept, in turn leading them to pursue careers that align with traditional gender stereotypes to which they are exposed (Eccles, 1994; Ertl et al., 2017).