Study: Knowledge of Stereotypes' Disruptive Effects Can Improve Women's Math Performance

Nov. 18, 2005 -- Understanding the psychological effects of gender stereotypes on academic performance may lead to a more level playing field for women in the male-dominated fields of mathematics and science, according to a University of Wyoming professor.

Michael Johns, UW Department of Psychology assistant professor, says research he conducted with Toni Schmader and Andy Martens, both of the University of Arizona (UA), offers further evidence that women and minorities underperform on mathematical and intellectual tests in part because they are concerned about confirming negative stereotypes associated with their groups.

"When you take into account demographic-oriented variables such as socioeconomic opportunities and parental education, an unexplained gap in intellectual performance still remains between groups," Johns says. "Researchers at Stanford first developed the theory to examine whether racial and gender stereotypes may offer a possible explanation for the differences that remain after other socio-demographic factors are considered."

Studies have shown that stereotype threat, or the potential of a known stereotype to change behavior, can be reduced when individuals are given an explanation as to why they may be experiencing additional pressure or anxiety in a test situation. Johns and his colleagues found a similar phenomenon and published their findings this year in "Knowing Is Half the Battle: Teaching Stereotype Threat as a Means of Improving Women's Math Performance," an article that appeared in Psychological Science, the flagship journal of the American Psychological Society.

Johns' group tested the idea by having female and male undergraduates complete a challenging math test under one of three conditions. In the first, the test was given as a problem-solving exercise, not a test of ability. In the second, the participants were told it was a test of skill and results would be used to make gender comparisons. The third situation was similar to the second, but the participants were taught about stereotype threat before the exam and women were offered the phenomenon as a way to explain anxiety they may have felt about the test.

"Often when people are feeling anxiety they might assume it says something about their preparation and ability. Telling the participants about stereotype threat had a positive effect. Women in that condition performed up to the level of men,” Johns says.

"Furthermore, in a self-report questionnaire administered after the test, women in the pure math test situation tended to perform worse the more they connected their anxiety to gender stereotypes. However, those who were taught about stereotype threat and connected anxiety to gender stereotypes performed better."

Even though empirical evidence indicates the mindset that women are inferior to men in the mathematics field still exists in higher education, Johns says the stereotype is slowly fading.

"In conducting this research, we've found that sizeable minorities of people aren't aware of the stereotype and haven't been exposed to it," he says. "That said, mathematics and the physical sciences are still very much male-dominated fields, and it's interesting to see the ways the issue remains controversial."

A keynote address this year by Harvard University President Lawrence H. Summers illustrates his point.

"Summers suggested there may be biological differences between men and women that help men excel above women in the fields of science and math. His comments originally were meant to provoke discussion, but the fact he said it and people reacted so strongly is very indicative of how contentious this issue is," Johns says.

In their published article, the researchers suggest teaching individuals about stereotype threat may be a "simple approach to counteracting the detrimental affects that negative stereotypes have on performance." Johns says more research is necessary, but this and similar research provide the initial evidence and the groundwork for near-future practical applications.

"I hope this type of research will contribute to developing either short-term or long-term programs and interventions to increase participation of girls and women in math and science," he says.

Johns received his Ph.D. (2005) in social psychology from UA. He earned an M.A. (1999) in experimental psychology from the University of Colorado and a B.A. (1995) in psychology from the University of California-Santa Cruz.

Posted on Friday, November 18, 2005