The Effects of Instagram Messaging on Women's Psychological Empowerment

This thesis examines the psychological empowerment of female undergraduates taking introductory level science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) classes. Using original Instagram messaging from women in the STEM field, this study analyzes how role models and belonging-based messaging affects women’s psychological empowerment. This thesis establishes a new operationalization of empowerment, measuring meaning, self-efficacy, and locus of control. While the Instagram interventions did not result in higher levels of empowerment as compared to the control condition, the belonging condition produced significantly lower levels of empowerment as compared to the role model condition. Similarly, those in the belonging condition reported significantly lower scores on the meaning subscale than did those in the role model condition.