Despite numerous attempts to promote equality between women and men, there are still significantly more men in top positions in Switzerland. This gender gap phenomenon is not only found in companies, but is also visible in socially-oriented professions such as medicine and psychology.

This project seeks to investigate whether there is a gender difference in career motivation among students of medicine and psychology. It will also examine whether career motivations change in a gender-specific manner over the course of the degree, and which of the influencing factors that are already known are most influential.

Prof. Dr. phil. Achim Elfering, Institute of Psychology, Department of Work and Organisational Psychology, University of Bern
Ellen Surdel, Psychologin

Prof. Dr. phil. Sissel Guttormsen,
Dr. phil. Felix Schmitz

Wohlfarth, B., Surde, E., Schmitz, F., Elfering, A., Guttormsen, S. (In print). A Trend Analysis of Career Motivation: Gender-Specific Differences among Students of Human Medicine and Psychology in Switzerland and Germany. BMC Medical Education.

Ellen Surdel (2022).
Karrieremotivation: Geschlechterspezifische Unterschiede von Medizin- und Psychologiestudierenden
Hauptbetreuer:innen: Prof. Sissel Guttormsen, Dr. Felix Schmitz, (IML), Co-Betreuer: Prof. Achim Elfering (Institut für Psychologie, Universität Bern).