Dataset for "Why men are the minority: The perceptions of young men in UK post-primary education about studying Psychology at university"

This dataset underpins the journal article Graham-Wisener, L (2025), "Why men are the minority: The perceptions of young men in UK post-primary education about studying psychology at university" published by PLOS ONE. It includes salient quotations from participants of the research. See readme file for further information.
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Recommended citation for the data: Graham-Wisener, L (2024), Dataset for "Why men are the minority: The perceptions of young men in UK post-primary education about studying psychology at university," Submitted, PLOS ONE.

This dataset supports the publication:
AUTHORS: Elida Cena, Stephanie Burns, Ruth Lee, Kathryn Gillespie, Patrick A. O’Connor, Tara Anderson, Grace Duffy, Lisa Graham-Wisener
TITLE: Why men are the minority: The perceptions of young men in UK post-primary education about studying psychology at university
JOURNAL: PLOS ONE
PAPER DOI IF KNOWN:

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DESCRIPTION
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Study Aim:
The aim of the study for which this data set was curated was to develop an understanding of the perceptions and motivations of adolescent and young adult men in a UK post-primary education setting regarding studying psychology at university undergraduate level.

Research questions:
i. What are the perceptions of adolescent and young adult men in post-primary settings of the study of psychology at A-level and undergraduate level?
ii. What are the perceptions of adolescent and young adult men in post-primary settings of the career prospects for psychology graduates?

Setting:
This study was undertaken in collaboration with post-primary schools in Northern Ireland (UK).

Participants:
Purposive sampling was undertaken within participating schools to identify and recruit AYAs aged 16 years of age or over, who identify as a man, and who were able to provide informed consent. AYAs were stratified into the following three groups: i) studying psychology (at AS or A2-Level), ii) not studying psychology, but studying at least one other STEM subject (at AS or A2-Level), and iii) not studying psychology nor any other STEM subjects (at AS or A2-Level).

Specifically, out of 64 participants, the sample consisted of 1) 36 participants studying Psychology (of which 15 were studying Psychology and at least another STEM subject, 21 were studying Psychology and other non-STEM subjects); 2) 24 participants not studying Psychology (of which 16 were studying STEM subjects and 11 were studying non-STEM subjects).

The majority of students were aged 17 (46.9%) or 18 (45.3%), were part of a larger family of at least 2 siblings and had a mother educated to at least degree level.

Data type: Exerts from qualitative transcripts

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METHODOLOGICAL INFORMATION
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Description of methods used for collection/generation of data: Qualitative focus group design

Methods for processing the data: Reflexive thematic analysis

Software or instrument-specific information needed to interpret the data: None

People involved with sample collection, processing, analysis and/or submission:
Elida Cena, Stephanie Burns, Ruth Lee, Kathryn Gillespie, Patrick A. O’Connor, Tara Anderson, Grace Duffy, Lisa Graham-Wisener

Keywords;
Psychology; male; adolescent; perceptions; experience; qualitative