Dissertation: Gendered attitudes and the low proportion of women in the technology sector undermine the quality and ethics of technology
When a phone fails to recognize a user's face, a seatbelt does not fit properly, or health technology ignores the specific features of women's bodies, there is often a design bias at play, i.e., a mindset that has not been noticed or questioned.
Aila Kronqvist's doctoral thesis at the University of Jyväskylä, “Mitä väliä sukupuolella on?” – Ajattelun vinoumat ja osallisuuden esteet suomalaisessa IT-teknologiakehityksessä (“What does gender matter?” – Biases in thinking and barriers to participation in Finnish IT development work) examines why such biases arise and what significance gender has in Finnish IT development work.
The research shows that Finnish women are still underrepresented in technical roles and encounter work attitudes that increase cognitive load.
"Mental strain arises when your own expertise is questioned and you have to constantly prove yourself. This strain weakens concentration, creativity, and opportunities to realize one's own technical visions," says Kronqvist.
According to Kronqvist, gender has both a visible and subtle impact on the design process. Research shows that women are more sensitive to gender bias than men, but they do not use bias-reducing design methods any more than men do.
“It is interesting to note that men more often utilize design thinking, i.e., user research and feedback collection, to combat biases. Women, on the other hand, tend to rely more on their own experience in understanding different user groups. Design thinking is considered human-centred and ethical, but its effectiveness depends on the users. If the team is one-sided, its thinking will also be biased," Kronqvist explains.
The results challenge the notion that design thinking in itself is a method for promoting equality. According to the study, it only works if teams are diverse and dare to address their own biases openly.
“Another surprising finding was that more experienced employees – especially those over 50 years of age – talk about bias more often and more openly than younger employees. This suggests that experience and reflective skills play an important role in equality related work,” Kronqvist notes.
The study brings together perspectives from cognitive science, gender studies, and design theory. It shows that technological development is not neutral but reflects the designers' own ways of thinking and the structures of their working environment. Diverse teams not only produce fairer solutions, but also more creative and effective ones.
In practice, the results can be utilized in IT management, training, and project practices.
“By raising awareness of biased thinking and developing inclusive working methods, we can create technology that serves all user groups, not just the assumed majority,” Kronqvist sums up.
FM Aila Kronqvist's cognitive science dissertation “Mitä väliä sukupuolella on?” – Ajattelun vinoumat ja osallisuuden esteet suomalaisessa IT-teknologiakehityksessä (“What does gender matter?” – Biases in thinking and barriers to participation in Finnish IT development work) will be held on November 28, 2025, at 12 noon in Hall C1 of the University Main Building of the University of Jyväskylä. The event can also be followed online.
The opponent will be Assistant Professor Ella Peltonen (University of Oulu) and the custos will be Research Director Pertti Saariluoma. The dissertation will be held in Finnish.
