This study investigates gender differences in perceptions of studying psychology among undergraduate students in the United Kingdom. Prior research suggests that psychology is often associated with women more than men, potentially shaping gendered perceptions of the discipline. To explore this further, a cross-sectional survey was conducted with 489 first-year undergraduate psychology students from Queen’s University Belfast, Ulster University, and the Open University. Participants completed measures assessing their views on psychology as a science (PAS) and as a helping profession (PHP), along with perceptions of stigma, academic rigor, and similarity to other psychology students. Additionally, a modified version of a scale measuring student motivation for studying psychology was used to assess students’ motivations for knowledge acquisition, skill development, and experiences. Results indicated that female students were more likely than males to perceive psychology as a helping profession and reported stronger beliefs that studying psychology carries stigma and is perceived as an "easy" subject. Males and females did not differ significantly in their perceptions of psychology as a science. Factor analysis of the motivation scale identified key dimensions, including engagement with experts, research skills, transferable skills, and social integration. Female students placed significantly greater importance on learning the core areas of psychology, developing transferable skills, engaging with experts, and achieving personal and intellectual growth, in comparison to males. These findings highlight gendered differences in how psychology is perceived and valued, with potential implications for student recruitment, curriculum design, and efforts to challenge stereotypes about psychology as a field.

Keywords: Gender, psychology education, student perceptions, motivation, stigma.