Article

A threat in the air - How stereotypes shape intellectual identity and performance

Authors:
To read the full-text of this research, you can request a copy directly from the author.

Abstract

A general theory of domain identification is used to describe achievement barriers still faced by women in advanced quantitative areas and by African Americans in school. The theory assumes that sustained school success requires identification with school and its subdomains; that societal pressures on these groups (e.g., economic disadvantage, gender roles) can frustrate this identification; and that in school domains where these groups are negatively stereotyped, those who have become domain identified face the further barrier of stereotype threat, the threat that others' judgments or their own actions will negatively stereotype them in the domain. Research shows that this threat dramatically depresses the standardized test performance of women and African Americans who are in the academic vanguard of their groups (offering a new interpretation of group differences in standardized test performance), that it causes disidentification with school, and that practices that reduce this threat can reduce these negative effects.

No full-text available

Request Full-text Paper PDF

To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the author.

... Members of a stigmatized group, especially low-performing students in marginalized groups, tend to feel diminished confidence and thus have low educational self-expectations. The preoccupation with dismantling these stereotypes and succeeding despite negative perceptions sabotages student performance (Steele, 1997). The exertion required to dispel stereotypes and prove one's academic worth is particularly harmful for students with low performance (Johnson-Ahorlu, 2013;Voisin et al., 2019;Wang et al., 2018;Whaley, 2020). ...
... When a low-performing student feels threatened by a stereotype, he or she reacts defensively to protect self-integrity. The effort required to protect one's integrity creates cognitive strain and harms performance (Steele, 1997;Voisin et al., 2019;Wang et al., 2018;Whaley, 2020). This phenomenon is linked to the don't-know response because, as pointed out in survey methodological literature, a don't-know response is significantly tied to cognitive difficulty (Shoemaker et al., 2002). ...
... In general, our findings supported our hypothesis that noncommittal students and low educational self-expectations students show educational attainment that is lower than that of high educational self-expectations students. As mentioned, one way to explain this finding is that students who own low educational expectations and confront stereotype threats may experience cognitive difficulty in answering the question regarding their educational self-expectations; they therefore choose the don't-know category (Krosnick, 1999;Shoemaker et al., 2002;Steele, 1997). The educational implications of our study merit further discussion. ...
Article
Full-text available
Although studies have investigated educational attainment of groups of students professing low and high educational self-expectations, groups of noncommittal students, rather than being studied as a discrete group, have been treated as missing and ignored. This study investigated the differences between students of noncommittal, low, and high educational self-expectations by comparing their educational attainment 10 years later. The analytical sample was divided into White, African American, and Hispanic student groups, with a total of 13,635 10th graders derived from the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002. Results indicated that students with high educational self-expectations tended to have higher odds of earning advanced degrees than students with low educational self-expectations or noncommittal students. Furthermore, noncommittal students had odds of earning advanced degrees equivalent to that of students with low educational self-expectations, regardless of race or ethnicity. This study also found that the educational expectations of parents, and math and English teachers were positively related to students’ odds of earning advanced degrees. We suggested parents and teachers could recognize that the don’t-know response is a warning sign for low future educational attainment and take proactive measures to encourage students.
... Social Identity Theory (SIT) (Tajfel, 1981) posits that a student's sense of who they are is highly influenced by their group membership(s) and student motivation at school relates to whether those groups are negatively or positively represented in society more broadly. This links to what Steele (1997Steele ( , 2010Steele and Aronson, 1995) and others refer to as "stereotype threat" where generalized societal perceptions (stereotypes) of social groups manifest as a social-psychological threat that can hinder a negatively stereotyped student's performance and engagement at school. Both SIT and Stereotype Threat are explored in this chapter, along with their influence on the engagement of Indigenous students in schooling contexts. ...
... Steele (2010) stated that "stereotype threat is a standard predicament of life" (p. 5) because humans are critically aware of each other, we know how our identities correlate to stereotypical ideas, including the assumptions surrounding gender, age, wealth and ethnicity. Thus, when Indigenous students are presented with a situation at school in which they might be judged because of who they are or are at risk of confirming existing stereotypes about element(s) of their identity, there is a social-psychological threat at play which can hinder their performance (Steele, 1997). Appel and Kronberger (2012) also add that stereotype threat can hinder individuals "from building knowledge and abilities in the first place" (p. ...
... This demonstrates that stereotype threat has a marked impact on test performance and can result in an achievement gap between negatively stereotyped students and those who are not. As well as ethnic minority groups, research has illustrated the impact of stereotype threat on the cognitive performance of physically disabled students (Desombre et al., 2018) and girls' and women's achievement and engagement in mathematics (Steele, 1997;Good et al., 2008), highlighting how stereotype threat can affect many different groups in an array of contexts where stereotypes apply. ...
Chapter
Full-text available
Indigenous student academic identities are developed, experienced, and expressed in unique ways by Indigenous students. Drawing from Social Identity Theory, Stereotype Threat, and Indigenous Social-Psychological Theory this chapter explains how schools can create environments that enable Indigenous students to succeed alongside other students. Attention must also be paid to their identities, particularly their ethnic and cultural identities and what this means for them, their whānau and wider communities. The Mana Model presented in the second half of this chapter, developed from an Indigenous Māori worldview, provides a framework for understanding the important conditions that Indigenous students need to succeed and thrive at school.
... Diversas pesquisas mostram que há um decréscimo significativo no desempenho de indivíduos membros de grupos estereotipados de forma negativa quando submetidos a uma condição ameaçadora, nas circunstâncias em que estes acreditam que o critério de julgamento do desempenho será, antes de tudo, baseado nas crenças estereotipadas. (DAVIES, et al., 2002;LEVY, 1996;SHIH;PITTINSkY;AMBADY, 1999;STEELE, 1997;SPENCER, STEELE;QUINN, 1999) O conceito de ameaça dos estereótipos se refere às ameaças situacionais, oriundas de crenças estereotipadas sobre determinados grupos e da ameaça que paira no ar sobre as pessoas que pertencem aos grupos-alvo dos estereótipos. Em situações ameaçadoras, os membros destes grupos acreditam que o critério de avaliação do desempenho será, antes de tudo, baseado em crenças e julgamentos estereotipados. ...
... Dado que as evidências sobre este efeito têm sido encontradas em estudos conduzidos em diversos contextos, a principal preocupação 228 joice ferreira da silva & marcos emanoel pereira dos teóricos é identificar os mediadores relacionados à ameaça dos estereótipos. Dentre os citados na literatura, podem ser identificados o nível de ansiedade (OSBORNE, 2001a;SPENCER;STEELE;QUINN, 1999), o endosso do estereótipo (LEYENS, et al., 2000), a percepção da dificuldade do teste (SHIH; PITTINSkY, AMBADY, 1999), a quantidade de esforço empregado na realização da tarefa (SMITH, 2004), o nível de autoestima e o desengajamento em relação à tarefa (STONE, 2002), a apreensão ao ser avaliado (SMITH, 2004;SPENCER;STEELE;QUINN, 1999) e a confiança na performance. (STEELE; ARONSON, 1995) A consciência de ser negativamente estereotipado aumenta a ansiedade situacional e a apreensão quanto a ser avaliado, quando o domínio é relevante para o indivíduo. ...
... Dado que as evidências sobre este efeito têm sido encontradas em estudos conduzidos em diversos contextos, a principal preocupação 228 joice ferreira da silva & marcos emanoel pereira dos teóricos é identificar os mediadores relacionados à ameaça dos estereótipos. Dentre os citados na literatura, podem ser identificados o nível de ansiedade (OSBORNE, 2001a;SPENCER;STEELE;QUINN, 1999), o endosso do estereótipo (LEYENS, et al., 2000), a percepção da dificuldade do teste (SHIH; PITTINSkY, AMBADY, 1999), a quantidade de esforço empregado na realização da tarefa (SMITH, 2004), o nível de autoestima e o desengajamento em relação à tarefa (STONE, 2002), a apreensão ao ser avaliado (SMITH, 2004;SPENCER;STEELE;QUINN, 1999) e a confiança na performance. (STEELE; ARONSON, 1995) A consciência de ser negativamente estereotipado aumenta a ansiedade situacional e a apreensão quanto a ser avaliado, quando o domínio é relevante para o indivíduo. ...
Chapter
A avaliação do contexto da instituição educacional pode ser vista de vários ângulos, desde o ponto de vista estritamente didático e das estratégias de avaliação da aprendizagem escolar até questões epistemológicas, sociais e políticas que estão implicadas na instituição educacional e em outras instituições que envolvem relações de saber-poder. Esse livro expressa um explícito compromisso com a qualidade e democratização da educação e praticando um diálogo que envolve muitas vozes. Esse compromisso será compartilhado com o leitor, especialista ou não.
... Another psychological factor thought to contribute to racial disparities in achievement is stereotype threat. Stereotype threat arises when members of a group that is subject to negative stereotypes are exposed to a situation where they may confirm the stereotypes if they perform poorly (Steele, 1992). This threat imposes an additional cognitive burden. ...
... This study aims to explore the role of teacher and student mindset in the achievement gap between Chinese and Latinx English Learners in the U.S. Based on several theoretical frameworks discussed above that are prominent in educational psychology, including the Asian American "Model Minority" stereotype (Suzuki, 1977), Dweck's mindset theory (Dweck, 1999), and theory of stereotype threat (Steele, 1992), several hypotheses were proposed: ...
... This pattern remained similar for both Chinese and Latinx EL students. Steele (1992) theorized that stereotype threat mostly affects students whose identity is strongly tied to an academic domain, since negative stereotypes about their group therefore jeopardize their identity. Over time, repeated exposure to stereotype threat can cause these students to disidentify with the domain (Woodcock et al., (2012). ...
Article
This longitudinal study examined the role of teacher and student mindset and stereotype threat in the achievement gap between Chinese and Latinx English Learners. Our analytic sample consisted of 858 students ranging from 4th through 8th grade and their teachers (N = 66). This study made use of psychological survey data from students and teachers, as well as state-mandated standardized assessment outcomes for Math and English Language Arts (2017–18 and 2018–19). With hierarchical linear modeling analysis, results showed that student growth mindset was significantly associated with higher school performance and stereotype threat was significantly associated with lower school performance. Teacher growth mindset was also significantly associated with school performance, but differentially by ethnicity and grade. Practical and research implications are discussed.
... Stereotypes about the intelligence of one's social group can impact intellectual identities, academic performance (Steele, 1997(Steele, , 2010, and career interests (Fiske et al., 2018;Wood & Eagly, 2012). These stereotypes are internalized early in lifegirls as young as 6 start to disassociate their gender with high-level intelligence, and associate boys with it instead, a stereotype that then influences girls' interests away from activities that they perceive to require this ability (Bian et al., 2017). ...
... These stereotypes are internalized early in lifegirls as young as 6 start to disassociate their gender with high-level intelligence, and associate boys with it instead, a stereotype that then influences girls' interests away from activities that they perceive to require this ability (Bian et al., 2017). Likewise, many studies have demonstrated the cognitive burden of stereotype threat on the achievement of women (along with other stereotyped groups) in various academic settings (e.g., Aronson et al., 2002;Steele, 1997Steele, , 2010. 3 Individuals who hold culturally stereotyped social identities may feel at risk of confirming those stereotypes in certain situations (e.g., women during a math exam with peers who are mostly men). The additional cognitive load this imposes then hinders performance in those situations. ...
Article
Broader, more diverse representation in mass media is frequently imagined as a tool for reduction of harmful stereotypes at scale. Increasingly, entertainment media in the United States feature representations that challenge or counter prevailing stereotypes. However, emergence of a high-choice media environment offers and facilitates the opportunity to be selective about the entertainment one consumes. Using a US sample, we show that entertainment media selection is predicted by preexisting beliefs — greater endorsement of a particular stereotype predicted a decrease in the selection of shows featuring representations challenging that stereotype. Findings indicate that those who could benefit most from these representations are less likely to be exposed to them, undermining the utility of mass media in the widespread reduction of harmful stereotypes.
... More relevant to the situation we analyze, however, are the mechanisms driven by concerns about others' perceptions of the agent's performance. In this domain, proposed mechanisms include career concerns (Holmstrom 1999), status (Besley and Ghatak 2008), regard for self-identity (Steele 1997), and shame (Tadelis 2011). ...
... Saenz (1994),Steele (1997),Brown and Josephs (1999), andInzlicht and Ben-Zeev (2000) make similar arguments about the effects of stereotypes and how they can inhibit performance. ...
Article
Full-text available
This paper studies differential employee responses to the public disclosure of individual performance information throughout an organization. We argue that, to the extent that employees care about their colleagues’ perceptions of their productivity, public disclosure will increase motivation. Moreover, the effect should be stronger for employees whose colleagues expect them to have higher performance. We obtained data from a bank that transitioned from private to public disclosure of employee rankings and, consistent with our hypothesis, find heterogeneity in employee responses to public disclosure. Employees with a history of poor performance increase their output more than past good performers when rankings become public. Additionally, more highly educated employees react more strongly to the change. However, contrary to the literature that finds gender differences in competitive environments, we do not find systematic differences in the response to public disclosure on this dimension. Overall, the results suggest that public disclosure is an important dimension to consider when designing a compensation system.
... Leur intérêt réside dans la recherche de solutions quant à la réduction de ses effets délétères . Si l'enjeu majeur serait de repenser l'école (Steele, 1997), des facteurs contextuels et psychologiques plus spécifiques sont à envisager, conjointement. Concernant les premiers, délaisser les évaluations sommatives, particulièrement préjudiciables pour les élèves appartenant à des groupes stigmatisés, au profit de celles formatives, i.e. qui visent à tester la maîtrise des connaissances (Souchal et al., 2013), serait une première piste. ...
... Proposer des cours qui intègrent la notion de diversité et le point de vue des minorités viendrait extraire les élèves d'une perspective historique basée uniquement sur la vision dominante (Stephan & Stephan, 2005). Cette dernière solution peut faire écho à la présentation de modèles de réussite (Steele, 1997), notamment de modèles contre-stéréotypiques (Kiefer & Sekaquaptewa, 2006 ;Régner, Steele, Ambady, Thimus-Blanc & Huguet, 2014). ...
Thesis
Full-text available
En se situant au croisement des sphères scientifique, politique et sociale, la formation initiale des professeur.es des écoles (PE) à l’égalité des sexes est un objet de recherche prolifique. Pour notre discipline, cet espace recouvre d’autant plus d’intérêt que la déconstruction des stéréotypes figure désormais comme cheval de bataille (Morin-Messabel et al., 2018). En parallèle, la psychologie sociale accorde une attention particulière aux contre-stéréotypes : construits en miroir des stéréotypes, ils incarneraient leur antidote (Blair et al., 2001). Bien que le contre-stéréotype ne jouisse pas de la renommée du stéréotype dans la pensée sociale, il a su s’immiscer de façon anonyme dans le champ de l’éducation. L’objectif de notre thèse est de saisir la manière dont ces concepts psychosociaux, ainsi que la notion d’égalité, sont représentés dans la formation des futur.es PE, notamment par les formé.es. Dans cette perspective, notre protocole de recherche s’inscrit dans une stratégie de triangulation (Kalampalikis & Apostolidis, 2021). En premier lieu, nous avons mené des entretiens individuels semi-directifs auprès de futur.es PE (n=43), de manière sérielle (i.e. pendant le M1, le M2, et la 1ère année de stage). Puis, nous avons appréhendé les savoirs collectifs des formé.es en conduisant 3 focus groups (i.e. M1, M2, mixte). L’observation des séances de formation à l’égalité des sexes (n=4) constitue notre troisième étape de recherche. Celle-ci nous invitait à interroger les interactions formateur.trice.s-masterant.es, en nous focalisant plus particulièrement sur les connaissances dispensées par les enseignant.es-chercheur.es en charge de ces enseignements. En dernier lieu, l’analyse des textes officiels produits par les politiques éducatives, de 1984 à 2019, sur les questions d’égalité filles-garçons (n=7) nous permettait d’approcher un langage politique. Les résultats obtenus révèlent la prépondérance des notions d’égalité et de stéréotype, les deux fonctionnant ensemble dans les différents discours recueillis. Nous notons des définitions consensuelles à leur égard. Néanmoins, le concept de différence vient flouter les deux termes et fait dissensus. Le contre-stéréotype, quant à lui, n’est que peu nommé en tant que tel, et demeure marginal. C’est la liaison qu’il entretient avec le stéréotype qui lui permet d’être reconnu et conceptualisé. Enfin, lorsque les stéréotypes et contre-stéréotypes sont théorisés, les discours portent l’empreinte d’un vocabulaire psychosocial.
... In addition to cultural and parenting differences (Kim & Wong, 2002;Pong et al., 2005), the persistent racial differences we identified are likely related to structural inequalities in society more broadly (Ayscue & Orfield, 2015;Klugman, 2013;Orfield & Lee, 2005). These inequalities may be the result of long-standing racial biases and stigmas that have translated into educational inequality (Steele, 1997;Tatum, 2017). Differences in college-level high school course taking rates by SES clearly highlight the advantages associated with middle and upper social class membership. ...
Article
This study explores the extent to which student, family, peer, and school factors predict (a) whether students take Advanced Placement® (AP®) courses, International Baccalaureate (IB) courses, and dual enrollment courses and (b) in models limited to course takers, how many courses they completed. Our findings, based on a nationally representative, longitudinal sample, suggest that, when it comes to college-level high school course taking, the relative advantage of higher socioeconomic status (SES) is less for African American students than it is for White and Asian students. Ninth-grade math skills are the strongest predictor of AP or IB and dual enrollment course taking, above and beyond demographic background characteristics like SES and race or ethnicity. High school girls take AP/IB and dual enrollment courses at a higher rate than boys, and they take more of these courses. The level of academic focus of students and their peers is associated with both AP or IB and dual enrollment course taking, whereas having parents focused on college preparation and course taking only predicts AP or IB course taking. School factors associated with AP or IB course taking include U.S. region and rural location; the percentage of math teachers with a master's degree is also positively associated with the number of AP or IB courses students take. These findings highlight the importance of equitable educational opportunities starting from a young age. They also indicate a need for increased early attention to student math skills and for more supports for parents and school staff to enable them to encourage and prepare all students, especially those from historically marginalized groups, to take college-level courses in high school.
... Otra línea de trabajo de las teorías de la resistencia, es la de Steele (1997), que acuñó la teoría de la "vulnerabilidad del estereotipo", que se refiere directamente a las aspiraciones académicas. Este autor argumenta que debido a que algunos grupos étnicos, fundamentalmente afroamericanos y chicanos/latinos, son estereotipados como intelectualmente inferiores, para ellos, las situaciones académicas en las que deben comportarse de forma competitiva pueden ser amenazadoras, y se producen respuestas de ansiedad que pueden influir significativamente en los resultados que obtienen y en las habilidades que son medidas. ...
Article
Full-text available
En los últimos años, el debate sobre el éxito y el fracaso escolar de los estudiantes de los distintos sistemas educativos se ha convertido en un tema estrella y uno de los mayores desafíos de los países de todo el mundo (OECD, 2006; Nusche, 2009). Este artículo ofrece una lectura sobre una situación que se ha hecho, si cabe, más compleja debido a la creciente incorporación de los hijos de inmigrantes de todas partes de mundo en las escuelas de los países de destino. En este trabajo se revisan diversas investigaciones llevadas a cabo en EEUU, un país con una larga tradición en la acogida de escolares inmigrantes, con el objetivo de analizar las teorías que intentan explicar el éxito y el fracaso escolar de la primera y segunda generación de niños inmigrantes.
... Stereotype threat, the theory that the mere idea of conforming to a stereotype can hinder one's performance, is well-studied in the social sciences (Steele 1997). Recent work suggests stereotype threat can be activated by avatars in a STEM learning game, resulting in lower self-reported engagement (Kao and Harrell 2015a;2015d). ...
Article
Research has indicated that role models have the potential to boost academic performance. In this paper, we describe an experiment exploring role models as game avatars in an educational game. Of particular interest are the effects of these avatars on players' performance and engagement. Participants were randomly assigned to a condition: a) user selected role model avatar, or b) user selected shape avatar. Results suggest that role models are heavily preferred. African American participants had higher game affect in the role model condition. South Asian participants had higher self-reported engagement in the role model condition. Participants that completed <= 1 levels had higher performance in the role model condition. General trends suggest that the role model's gender and racial closeness with the player, could play a role in player performance and self-reported engagement as consistent with the social science literature.
... Stereotypes are usually defined as simplified visions (mental models) that are widely shared within a community or organization: those who follow a stereotype accept the opinionwithout any direct specific verification -that a subject must have certain characteristics only because he belongs to a group that, on average, possesses them (Valian, 1998;Steele, 1997;Smith et al., 2006; Gender stereotypes in organizations Marx and Ko, 2012;Rosenthal and Overstreet, 2015). Generally speaking, a stereotype is formed in a social system when a characteristic of a not insignificant percentage of a category is extended to the totality of individuals. ...
Article
Full-text available
Purpose Stereotypes are simplified and widely shared visions held by a social group regarding a place, object, event or recognizable set of people united by certain characteristics or qualities. They are “dangerous” mental models because they are widely disseminated, devious and capable of acting even unconsciously in individuals, social groups and organizations altering the rationality of assessments and choices and producing discrimination and prejudice. Stereotypes acritically extend from a characteristic of a significant percentage of a category to the totality of individuals. The process of generalization triggered by a stereotype produces the error of discrimination and prejudice. There are numerous forms of stereotypes, but this study takes into account gender stereotypes because they act pervasively, often subtly, to reduce “productivity”. People who are aware of being discriminated perceive an unsatisfactory fulfillment of their motivations, which reduces their incentive to improve their performance. Since productivity measures the efficient use of energy from working in production processes, the author believes that wherever gender stereotypes are at play, there is a productive “waste of energy”, an inefficiency in work activity with harmful effects for organizations of all kinds, including families. Design/methodology/approach The work aims to demonstrate that wherever gender stereotypes are at play, a “waste of energy” manifests itself in terms of productivity, representing an inefficiency in work activity with harmful effects for organizations of all kinds, including families. To describe the negative effects stereotypes produce in organizations, some models are presented based on the methods and language of systems thinking. These models, although typically qualitative, are capable of exploring the most accepted theories in the literature: tournament theory, the Pygmalion effect, the Galatea effect, self-fulfilling prophecies, the Queen bee syndrome, the role congruency theory, the glass ceiling theory (“think manager, think male” and “family responsibilities wall”). The paper follows a predominantly organizational and corporate approach, although the copious literature on stereotypes belongs largely to the area of social psychology and organization studies. Findings The paper does not consider the psychological origin of stereotypes but highlights their use as routines-shortcuts for evaluations and decisions demonstrating that, when adopted in social systems and within organisations, stereotypes produce different forms of discrimination: in social rights, in work, in careers and in access to levels of education and public services, reducing performance and limit potential. The paper also examines some ways gender and culture stereotypes can be opposed, presenting a change management strategy and some concrete solutions proposed by the process–structure–culture model for social change (PSC model). Research limitations/implications The main limitation of the work is that it focuses on gender stereotypes, choosing not to consider the “intersection effect” of these with other stereotypes: racial stereotypes, religious stereotypes, color stereotypes, age stereotypes, sex and sexual orientation stereotypes, and many others, whose joint action can cause serious inefficiencies in organizational work. Practical implications As stereotypes are a component of social culture and are handed down, by use and example, from generation to generation, the maintenance over time of stereotypes used by individuals to evaluate, judge and act can be seen as an effect of the typical action of a combinatory system of diffusion, which can operate for a long time if not effectively opposed. Il PSC model indicates the strategy for carrying out this opposition. Social implications With regard to gender stereotypes, it should be emphasized that in organizations and social systems, “gender diversity” should be considered an opportunity and not as a discriminating factor and thus encouraged by avoiding harmful discrimination. In fact, this diversity, precisely because of the distinctive characteristics individuals possess regardless of gender, can benefit the organization and lead to an increase in organizational and social performance. The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2020) Goal 5: Achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls is examined in this context. Originality/value This study views the action of gender stereotypes as especially harmful “mental models”, highlighting the distortions they cause in the allocation of productive energy in society, groups and organizations. The paper follows a predominantly organizational and corporate approach, although the copious literature on stereotypes belongs largely to the area of social psychology. Using the “logic” and “language” of systems thinking, theories and models that describe and interpret the distorting effects of organizational choices based on stereotypes rather than rational analysis are highlighted. The action of stereotypes and their persistence over time can also be described using combinatory systems theory. With this paper, the author hopes that by acting on the three wheels of change highlighted by the PSC model, through legal provisions, control tools and actions on the culture operated by educational and social aggregative institutions, it should not be impossible to change the prevailing culture so that it becomes aware of the harmful influence of gender stereotypes and other discriminatory mental models and come to reject them. The author hopes this paper will help to understand the need to make this change.
... De nombreuses perspectives en sociologie et psychologie sociale vont dans le sens de l'inclusion de la rationalité2 dans une rationalité0 (Bernstein, 1975 ;Bourdieu & Passeron, 1970 ;Haroche & Pêcheux, 1972 ;Monteil & Huguet, 2002 ;Plon, 1968 ;Steele, 1997 ;Tort, 1974), tout comme les travaux des psychologues interculturels cherchant à mettre à jour les différentes ethnothéories de l'intelligence (cf. par ex. ...
... A counterargument would suggest that merely describing and reporting the "reality" of achievement and persistence outcomes in mathematics does not constitute racialization. However, research by Steele (1997) and Steele and Aronson (1995) on stereotype threat-the threat of being perceived as fitting a negative stereotype or the fear of poor performance confirming that stereotype-has clearly shown that discursive practices and policies that frame some students as at-risk and underachievers often have a negative affect on academic performance when this discourse becomes part of the social context in which students attempt to learn. Studies have also shown that these framings often become internalized by teachers and school officials, leading to deficit-oriented beliefs about African American, Latino, and Native American students and pernicious ways of sorting and stratifying these students for educational opportunities (e.g., Lewis, 2003b;Oakes, 1985;Sleeter, 1993). ...
Article
Full-text available
Background Within mathematics education research, policy, and practice, race remains undertheorized in relation to mathematics learning and participation. Although race is characterized in the sociological and critical theory literatures as socially and politically constructed with structural expressions, most studies of differential outcomes in mathematics education begin and end their analyses of race with static racial categories and group labels used for the sole purpose of disaggregating data. This inadequate framing is, itself, reflective of a racialization process that continues to legitimize the social devaluing and stigmatization of many students of color. I draw from my own research with African American adults and adolescents, as well as recent research on the mathematical experiences of African American students conducted by other scholars. I also draw from the sociological and critical theory literatures to examine the ways that race and racism are conceptualized in the larger social context and in ways that are informative for mathematics education researchers, policy makers, and practitioners. Purpose To review and critically analyze how the construct of race has been conceptualized in mathematics education research, policy, and practice. Research Design Narrative synthesis. Conclusion Future research and policy efforts in mathematics education should examine racialized inequalities by considering the socially constructed nature of race.
... Emotionen. Schon früh wurde vermutet, dass negative Emotionen eine zentrale Rolle bei den durch die Aktivierung negativer Stereotype hervorgerufenen Leistungseinschränkungen spielen (Steele 1997). Seitdem haben zahlreiche Studien die Rolle von (überwiegend negativen) Emotionen während und nach der Aufgabenbearbeitung im Anschluss an die Aktivierung negativer Stereotype untersucht. ...
Chapter
Frühere Forschung hat gezeigt, dass die Aktivierung negativer Stereotype leistungseinschränkende Effekte für betroffene Gruppenmitglieder haben kann (sogenannter Stereotype Threat-Effekt). Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird zunächst ein Überblick über diese Forschung gegeben, bei dem immer wieder Bezug auf die besondere Situation ethnischer Minderheiten in Deutschland genommen wird. Da negative Emotionen im Kontext von Stereotype Threat eine bedeutsame Rolle spielen können, werden in einem nächsten Schritt Ansätze zur Emotionsregulation in die Forschung zu Stereotype Threat integriert. Abschließend werden verschiedene Arten der Emotionsregulation dargestellt, die von Menschen mit Migrationshintergrund in Stereotype Threat-Situationen eingesetzt werden können.
... Ahora bien, en cuanto a los estereotipos culturales, es decir, aquellos que surgen, se trasmiten y se refuerzan a partir del entorno en el que se desenvuelve el individuo, se encuentran aquellos relacionados con la presentación personal, el físico, la inteligencia, la salud, la educación, la capacidad, entre otras (Steele, 1997). ...
... In other words, ethnic minority students could feel under threat and be fearful of the negative consequences of being oneself at work. 16,20 Feeling under threat, in turn, could also hinder performance 25,26 and personal engagement, 16 which could create the impression that the person is unmotivated. Indeed, hiding certain identity aspects in the workplace can be a costly strategy. ...
Article
Full-text available
CONTEXT Ethnic minority students find that their ethnicity negatively affects the evaluation of their capacities and their feelings in medical school. This study tests whether ethnic minority and majority students differ in their ‘self-regulatory focus’ in clinical training, i.e. their ways to approach goals, due to differences in social learning experiences. Self-regulatory focus consists of a promotion and prevention focus. People who are prone to stereotypes and unfair treatments, are more likely to have a prevention focus and conceal certain identity aspects. OBJECTIVES To test whether ethnic minority students, as compared to ethnic majority students, are equally likely to have a promotion focus, but more likely to have a prevention focus in clinical training due to more negative social learning experiences (H1), and whether the relationship between student ethnicity and clinical evaluations can be explained by students’ gender, social learning experiences, self-regulatory focus, and impression management (H2). METHODS Survey and clinical evaluation data of 312 (71.2% female) clerks were collected and grouped into 215 ethnic majority (69.4%) and 95 ethnic minority students (30.6%). Students’ social learning experiences were measured as: perceptions of unfair treatment, trust in supervisors, and social academic fit. Self-regulatory focus (general and work specific) and impression management were also measured. A parallel mediation model (H1) and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used (H2). RESULTS Ethnic minority students had higher perceptions of unfair treatment and lower trust in their supervisors in clinical training. They were more prevention focused in clinical training, but this was not mediated by having more negative social learning experiences. Lower clinical evaluations for ethnic minority students were unexplained. Promotion focus in clinical training and trust in supervisors positively relate to clinical grades. CONCLUSION Student ethnicity predicts social learning experiences, self-regulatory focus and grades in clinical training. The hidden curriculum plausibly plays a role here.
Article
Full-text available
Global research has indicated that there are differences in mathematics achievement among students relative to their gender. The differences have decreased in the last couple of decades, but they have not completely disappeared. Mathematics competitions play an important role in increasing students' motivation, interest, and self-confidence, as well as in identifying and supporting mathematically gifted students. For this reason, the question is whether and to what extent there are differences in achievement at mathematics competitions relative to gender. The aim of this paper is to analyse the continuity of interest and students' achievement, and to investigate the trends at regional mathematics competitions relative to gender in the 2014-2023 period. The research sample consists of 53490 primary school students, from fourth to eighth grade. Quantitative and qualitative methods were applied. The results indicate that there are differences in participation and achievement relative to students' gender. In the observed period, there was a trend of an increased male representation. A slight decrease in the representation of boys was identified during the transition from earlier grades to subject teaching, and this difference becomes greater in the eighth grade. When it comes to achievement, there is a statistically significant difference, usually to the benefit of the boys, in 60% of cases. There are more boys among the 5% of the students with the highest achievement. The findings indicate that more attention should be paid to this issue and that the cause of the gender differences regarding participation and achievement at competitions should be identified and ways should be found for overcoming it.
Article
In this paper, citizen’s reportage of corruption means a citizen’s readiness to report a witnessed corruption incident to the anticorruption agencies. Citizens’ reportage of corruption is largely conditioned by a free will decision. In this study, the decision to report corruption or not, noted as a critical concern in anti-corruption efforts. The influence of the social-psychological factors, particularly a powerdistancing mind-set on a citizen's intentional behaviour to report a corruption event, has been utilized as a method to establish factors that would affect citizens to report witnessed corruption incidents in Tanzania. A case study was used. This paper used qualitative data collected in Lindi Municipal Council and Mwanza City Council to show, how a power-distance mind-set hinders citizens’ readiness to report witnessed corruption incident in Tanzania. The study determined that, Ethnic traditional values of displaying the elderly as untouchable and uncriticised may influence a social practice of remaining silent on those seen with power. The implications of this mentality may extend to different levels in the public sectors domain. The study sees a need for mediating the conceptualization of a power-distancing mentality to citizens’ reportage of corruption as an imperative (an avoidable reality.
Article
In social psychology, stereotypes have generally been viewed as overgeneralized beliefs about social groups in society. Although stereotypes—especially those that are negative—tend to be recognized as contributing to prejudice and discrimination of marginalized communities, they are often conceptualized as containing a “kernel of truth.” Meanwhile, there has been relatively little consideration of the historical and cultural origins of racial stereotypes. This is an important oversight given that stereotypes have and continue to be used as a means to excuse and reinforce the systemic oppression of communities of color. Thus, the current paper uses a historical framework to review major stereotypes that have targeted communities of color throughout U.S. history, with a focus on stereotypes of Black people. In doing so, we conceptualize racial stereotypes as propaganda that have historically functioned to support oppressive societal systems in the U.S. by both (a) shaping public perceptions and expectations and (b) by influencing the thoughts and behavior of members of stereotyped groups. By situating stereotypes within their historical and cultural frames, readers can recognize the way stereotypes reinforce systems of oppression. We conclude with research implications and encourage stereotyping scholars to foreground the social construction of stereotypes and the function that they serve by contextualizing their work in the social and historical context in which stereotypes emerged.
Chapter
This handbook is the first to comprehensively study the interdependent fields of environmental and conservation psychology. In doing so, it seeks to map the rapidly growing field of conservation psychology and its relationship to environmental psychology. The Oxford Handbook of Environmental and Conservation Psychology includes basic research on environmental perceptions, attitudes, and values; research on specific environments, such as therapeutic settings, schools, and prisons; environmental impacts on human well-being; and ways to promote a more sustainable relationship between people and the natural environment. This handbook presents an extensive review of current research and is a thorough guide to the state of knowledge about a wide range of topics at the intersection of psychology and the physical environment. Beyond this, it provides a better understanding of the relationship between environmental and conservation psychology, and some sense of the directions in which these interdependent areas of study are heading.
Article
Full-text available
Academic stereotype threat of Chinese adolescents in vocational education is underexamined. The present study aimed to gain an understanding of the effects of academic stereotype threat on academic engagement by examining the potential mediating role of academic self-efficacy and moderating role of perceived social support. A total of 1152 Chinese adolescents (448 boys; meanage = 18.26, SD = 1.20) in higher vocational schools completed a survey questionnaire assessing academic stereotype threat, academic engagement (i.e., vigor, dedication and absorption), academic self-efficacy, and social support (i.e., family support, friend support and teacher support). Findings supported the mediating effect of academic self-efficacy, indicating that academic stereotype threat decreased academic engagement by undermining academic self-efficacy. Furthermore, the relationship between academic stereotype threat and academic self-efficacy was moderated by teacher support. Specifically, the negative effects of academic stereotype threat on self-efficacy was weaker for adolescents who perceived high levels of teacher support. This study contributes to the educational/psychological research on academic engagement by providing evidence for the adverse effects, potential mechanism and protective factor of academic stereotype threat in Chinese adolescents of higher vocational education. Implications for further investigations and intervention development are discussed.
Article
Despite progress made over the past decade, women are under-represented in positions of leadership in academic medicine. Women physicians face numerous challenges throughout their careers. Despite achieving leadership positions, women in leadership continue to experience the impact of those challenges. In this review, we describe four misconceptions about women in leadership, along with their impact and recommendations. First, we describe differences between mentorship and sponsorship, as well as their impact on attaining leadership positions. Second, the gender pay gap persists throughout women's careers, regardless of leadership positions. Third, we explore the role of self-efficacy in leadership in the context of stereotype threats. Fourth, gendered expectations of leadership characteristics place an undue burden on women, detracting from their leadership effectiveness. Organizations can address the challenges women face by creating robust mentorship and sponsorship networks, establishing transparent and equitable pay policies, promoting and normalizing a broader range of leadership styles, and improving work flexibility and support structure. Ultimately, such changes serve all members of the organization through increased retention and engagement.
Article
Full-text available
Persons Excluded due to Ethnicity and Race (PEERs) remain underrepresented in university faculties, particularly in science, technology, engineering, math and medicine (STEMM) fields, despite increasing representation among students, and mounting evidence supporting the importance of PEER faculty in positively impacting both scientific and educational outcomes. In fact, the ratio of PEER faculty to students has been steadily dropping since 2000. In our case study, we examine the factors that explain creation of an unusually diverse faculty within a biology department. We analyzed nearly 40 years of hiring data in the study department and show that this department (the study department), historically and currently, maintains a significantly higher proportion of PEERs on faculty as compared to two national datasets. Additionally, we identify factors that contributed to hiring of PEERs into tenure and tenure-track positions. We observed a significant increase in the hiring of PEERs concurrent with the implementation of a co-hiring policy (p = 0.04) which allowed a single search to make two hires when at least one candidate was a PEER. In contrast, three key informants at sister departments reported that co-hiring policies did not result in PEER hires, but instead different practices were effective. In line with one of these practices, we observe a possible association between search committees with at least one PEER member and PEER hiring (p = 0.055). Further, the presence of particular faculty members (Agents of Change) on search committees is associated with PEER hiring. In this case study the combination of a co-hire policy based on the principle of interest-convergence to redress hiring inequities, along with the presence of agents of change, increased faculty PEER representation in STEMM departments.
Article
Full-text available
Unlabelled: Considering that teleworking and online training are on the rise following the pandemic, studying how school-life balance affects the development of VET competences in online learning during COVID-19 can provide relevant information to enhance educational equity in the future. A longitudinal study was conducted employing an on-line questionnaire to meet the following aims: to explore the development of cross-disciplinary competences in VET during COVID-19; to identify different students' profiles according to their school-life balance during the pandemic; and, to analyse whether the school-life balance was affecting competency development and propose improvements to training as a result. Results show that cross-disciplinary competences did not undergo important changes between the pre-pandemic scenario and during it, except for a decrease in metacognitive self-regulation. Similarly, most students reported having spent the same time studying before and during the pandemic. However, three main profiles of students are revealed, highlighting certain school-life imbalances. While all agree that remote teaching was critical in coping with the situation, differences were found by age and gender, with some participants experiencing more challenging situations. These results provide a fertile context for VET designers and teachers to generate new learning scenarios that meet all students' potential needs. Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12186-023-09314-1.
Article
Full-text available
Objectives To determine how current psychometric testing approaches used in selection of postgraduate training in UK Public Health are associated with socioeconomic and sociocultural background of applicants (including ethnicity). Design Observational study using contemporaneous data collected during recruitment and psychometric test scores. Setting Assessment centre of UK national Public Health recruitment for postgraduate Public Health training. The assessment centre element of selection comprises three psychometric assessments: Rust Advanced Numerical Reasoning, Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Assessment II and Public Health situational judgement test. Participants 629 applicants completed the assessment centre in 2021. 219 (34.8%) were UK medical graduates, 73 (116%) were international medical graduates and 337 (53.6%) were from backgrounds other than medicine. Main outcome measure Multivariable-adjusted progression statistics in the form of adjusted OR (aOR), accounting for age, sex, ethnicity, professional background and surrogate measures of familial socioeconomic and sociocultural status. Results 357 (56.8%) candidates passed all three psychometric tests. Candidate characteristics negatively associated with progression were black ethnicity (aOR 0.19, 0.08 to 0.44), Asian ethnicity (aOR 0.35, 0.16 to 0.71) and coming from a non-UK medical graduate background (aOR 0.05, 0.03 to 0.12); similar differential attainment was observed in each of the psychometric tests. Even within the UK-trained medical cohort, candidates from white British backgrounds were more likely to progress than those from ethnic minorities (89.2% vs 75.0%, p=0.003). Conclusion Although perceived to mitigate the risks of conscious and unconscious bias in selection to medical postgraduate training, these psychometric tests demonstrate unexplained variation that suggests differential attainment. Other specialties should enhance their data collection to evaluate the impact of differential attainment on current selection processes and take forward opportunities to mitigate differential attainment where possible.
Article
This study assesses how wearing an EM affects stereotype-consistent delinquent attitudes and cognitions, and whether feeling stigmatized for wearing an EM contributes to broader negative functioning for youth enrolled in an EM program. A total of 98 juveniles currently enrolled in an EM program were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: (a) Stigma Salience (prompted to think about and describe wearing an EM), and (b) Stigma Non-salience (prompted to think about and describe their day). As hypothesized, youth with greater personal and group stigma for wearing an EM, also reported greater negative experiences while wearing an EM. This research can inform evidence-based practitioners, academics, and policymakers considering and crafting regulations for youth on EM or consider alternatives to EM.
Article
Full-text available
This qualitative inquiry examined the lived experiences of 14 high-achieving, eighth-grade, Black males in three inner city middle schools. Anchored in a social constructivist paradigm, this study focused on factors that influence the educational experiences of early adolescent Black males. Participant selection was based on state test scores, GPA, and SES; data were collected by classroom observation and semi-structured interviews. Six themes and twenty-two subthemes related to factors which promote achievement and the meaning of achievement were found. Results show that high achieving students were motivated to excel, in part, by striving to counter negative assumptions about Black males. Participants faced many personal and contextual challenges, but they were able to identify individual and environmental resources that they used to fuel their drive for academic success.
Article
Full-text available
Diversifying the STEM workforce is a national priority, yet white males continue to dominate the ranks of professional scientists and engineers in the United States. This is partly due to disparities in academic success for women and minoritized students in prerequisite introductory STEM courses, leading to higher attrition from B.S. degree programs. Past research has demonstrated that when social-psychological interventions targeting “stereotype threat” or “fixed” mindsets are implemented in STEM courses, equity gaps may be significantly reduced. We incorporated two such interventions into introductory biology courses for life science B.S. majors and Associate’s degree allied health students taught at a regional research university and a community college. We observed no significant effects of the values-affirmation interventions on grade outcomes for students in any of the courses, regardless of students' gender identity, race/ethnicity, or first-generation status, suggesting that students, on average, were not experiencing stereotype threat on either campus. We found a significant positive association between completing more weekly reflective journal entries and higher mean content-based grades for students in the university majors course overall, especially first-generation students, although the association was significantly negative for women. Our results confirm that context matters when implementing interventions aimed at reducing achievement gaps, and we propose that educators assess their students’ social-psychological characteristics and then select interventions accordingly.
Article
We tested the relationship between gender-stereotypical beliefs (GSBs) of female and male classroom peers and female achievement in mathematics. Complete-class student survey data merged with family register data from 1,047 Danish 6th-grade students, nested in 50 classrooms within 28 schools, were analysed using multilevel linear regressions including controls for parental education and income, the percentage of females in the classroom, prior math test scores, and the parental education, income, and prior test scores of female and male peers. We found that the GSBs of female peers were negatively associated with girls’ math achievement. Similar variables were not related to the math achievement of boys.
Article
Full-text available
For graduate students, securing prestigious fellowships provides incredible benefits such as increased job opportunities and likelihood of receiving awards. These benefits can be particularly life-changing for a graduate student who may come from a marginalized background. However, the inequity in fellowship distribution hinders the success of graduate students, especially those who are marginalized. The majority of the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is white and attend top-ranked institutions. Within the GRFP, there is a clear disconnect between the grantee’s proposed broader impacts and follow-through. To value and support communities, and graduate students of color in the process, the GRFP must be reimagined. In this article, we provide a brief background on the relationship between STEM and marginalized communities, and how broader impacts currently function as a band-aid to the issues of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) in STEM. We then conclude by providing recommendations to improve the broader impacts section and the awardee selection process.
Article
Full-text available
This study explores the relationship between old‐age stereotyping and older consumers’ masstige product consumption, specifically, their intention to purchase masstige brand products, with a focus on their motivational drives from an identity‐signaling perspective. We surveyed 533 people aged 54 to 64 years in South Korea. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the mediating effect, and hierarchical regression analysis was applied to test the moderating effect. Our results indicated that among older consumers in South Korea who felt threatened by old‐age stereotypes, intention to purchase masstige brands was high. Their dissociative motivation, that is, their motivation to dissociate from their age group, and the symbolic value of masstige brands as signifiers of a youthful, desirable identity were found to mediate both the threat of old‐age stereotyping and intention to purchase masstige brands. Furthermore, we found that interdependent older consumers were more sensitive to old‐age stereotyping and had a stronger motivation to dissociate from the “old‐age” group. The findings offer insights into masstige brand consumption by older South Korean consumers that may be useful for both academics and marketers. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Article
When cognitive and educational tests are administered under time limits, tests may become speeded and this may affect the reliability and validity of the resulting test scores. Prior research has shown that time limits may create or enlarge gender gaps in cognitive and academic testing. On average, women complete fewer items than men when a test is administered with a strict time limit, whereas gender gaps are frequently reduced when time limits are relaxed. In this study, we propose that gender differences in test strategy might inflate gender gaps favoring men, and relate test strategy to stereotype threat effects under which women underperform due to the pressure of negative stereotypes about their performance. First, we applied a Bayesian two-dimensional item response theory (IRT) model to data obtained from two registered reports that investigated stereotype threat in mathematics, and estimated the latent correlation between underlying test strategy (here, completion factor, a proxy for working speed) and mathematics ability. Second, we tested the gender gap and assessed potential effects of stereotype threat on female test performance. We found a positive correlation between the completion factor and mathematics ability, such that more able participants dropped out later in the test. We did not observe a stereotype threat effect but found larger gender differences on the latent completion factor than on latent mathematical ability, suggesting that test strategies affect the gender gap in timed mathematics performance. We argue that if the effect of time limits on tests is not taken into account, this may lead to test unfairness and biased group comparisons, and urge researchers to consider these effects in either their analyses or study planning.
Article
This paper analyzes the consequences of peer victimization for the satisfaction with schooling (“happiness”) of college-bound high school graduates in Brazil. Several types of victimization are explored including discrimination due to race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, and disability. We compare the satisfaction with their schooling of students planning to head to college straight from high school and older students applying for college later in life (“nontraditional students”). We conclude that students who perceived that they had been discriminated against were more dissatisfied with their school experience than those who did not, ceteris paribus, and we relate level of dissatisfaction to type of discrimination. The older student evidence reveals that this dissatisfaction wanes with time and age, however. Our conclusions are based upon ordered logistic analyses of data for 2.4 million current high school seniors and 78.7 thousand older students drawn from the Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio questionnaire (ENEM).
Article
Full-text available
First-generation college students and those from ethnic groups such as African Americans, Latinx, Native Americans, or Indigenous Peoples in the United States are less likely to pursue STEM-related professions. How might we develop conceptual and methodological approaches to understand instructional differences between various undergraduate STEM programs that contribute to racial and social class disparities in psychological indicators of academic success such as learning orientations and engagement? Within social psychology, research has focused mainly on student-level mechanisms surrounding threat, motivation, and identity. A largely parallel literature in sociology, meanwhile, has taken a more institutional and critical approach to inequalities in STEM education, pointing to the macro level historical, cultural, and structural roots of those inequalities. In this paper, we bridge these two perspectives by focusing on critical faculty and peer instructor development as targets for inclusive STEM education. These practices, especially when deployed together, have the potential to disrupt the unseen but powerful historical forces that perpetuate STEM inequalities, while also positively affecting student-level proximate factors, especially for historically marginalized students.
Article
Full-text available
This study investigated the role of social contexts for gender disparities in education by examining the associations between gender-stereotypical beliefs (GSB) of students, peers, and teachers and gender achievement patterns in the classroom and students’ self-concept in language and math. We applied multilevel models with school fixed effects to a unique sample of combined survey and register data from Denmark to analyze detailed learning environments within schools and their correlations with gender differences in self-concept across subject domains. Results showed a gender gap in favor of boys in mathematics, net of academic achievement that were consistent across classrooms. In language, the influence of gender varied across classrooms. Furthermore, although GSB and gender achievement patterns did not alter the gender gap in either language or mathematics, we found that they moderated the relationship between gender and self-concept in heterogeneous ways across subjects. While teachers’ GSB increased the gender gap in language by decreasing boys’ self-concept, the students’ own GSB was more important for students’ self-concept in mathematics. Moreover, girls’ mathematics self-concept was lower in classrooms, in which, female peers had a relatively higher level of mathematics achievement compared to boys, suggesting that counter-stereotypical achievement patterns in the classroom do not increase students’ self-concept in subjects with strong gender stereotypes. On the contrary, girls are most likely to compare themselves to female peers, resulting in a negative association with self-evaluations. Our results highlighted the role played by social contexts in schools in the generation of gender differences in self-concept in traditionally stereotyped subject domains, but also showed important differences in how boys and girls were affected by their learning environments across different subject domains, suggesting there are different mechanisms at play.
Article
Full-text available
The purpose of this study is to explain the gender differences in reading achievement with the mediating role of metacognitive strategies and reading-related attitudes. Hypotheses were tested with 6890 students [3396 (49.3%) females, 3494 (50.7%) males] who participated in PISA 2018 in Turkey. The path analysis results indicated that gender had significant associations with metacognitive strategies and reading-related attitudes. One remarkable result is that gender affected metacognitive strategies about lower cognitive levels more than strategies about higher cognitive levels, and that the female advantage was reduced for upper metacognitive strategies. Additionally, reading-related attitudes, except for perception of reading competence, and metacognitive strategies were significantly associated with reading achievement. In addition, the results revealed that metacognitive strategies and reading-related attitudes, except for perception of reading competence, fully mediated gender and reading achievement. Overall, the results show that the gender difference in reading achievement is not only due to gender itself, but may also be due to differentiation of the metacognitive strategies and reading-related attitudes of girls and boys. As a result, the teaching of metacognitive strategies and development of reading-related attitudes to students are recommended, in order to reduce the gender gap in reading achievement. Limitations, practical implications, and recommendations for future research are discussed.
Article
Introduction: Achieving a high grade in the final-year comprehensive clinical care (CCC) course is not only important for the individual candidate but also to ensure competency of students as they transition from dental school into independent practice. Here we aimed to identify predictors of success in the CCC that might prove useful to identify which, if any, students need focused intervention to improve their performance in the CCC. Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectional study of two consecutive cohorts (2017-2018 and 2018-2019) of final year (year 6) dental students (n=180 females, n=150 males) attending [redacted], Saudi Arabia. Age, gender, cumulative GPA to the start of year six, and assessment results were tabulated and analyzed as independent variables in binary logistic regression to identify predictors of the final case grade (≤69% or >70%). Results: Year 5 GPA (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.02-1.12; p=0.004) and female gender (OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.12-4.36; p=0.02) were significantly associated with an increased odds of achieving a final case grade >70%. In particular, female students were over twice as likely as male students to achieve a higher score in their final case assessment. Discussion: This study suggests that gender may influence final performance in the CCC. The better performance of females in the final CCC course than their male counterparts suggests that there may be a narrowing or even reversal of the historical gender gap in dental school performance. Conclusions: Both cognitive (GPA) and other (i.e., gender) factors influence clinical dental performance. Further work is required to establish what instructional modifications are required to accommodate these gender differences in CCC courses to pave the way for personalized teaching approaches to optimize educational outcomes.
Article
Full-text available
In many societies, beliefs about differential intellectual ability by gender persist across generations. These societal beliefs can contribute to individual belief formation and thus lead to persistent gender inequality across multiple dimensions. We show evidence of intergenerational transmission of gender norms through peers and how this affects gender gaps in learning. We use nationally representative data from China and the random assignment of children to middle-school classrooms to estimate the effect of being assigned a peer group with a high proportion of parents who believe that boys are innately better than girls at learning mathematics. We find this increases a child’s likelihood of holding the belief, with greater effects from peers of the same gender. It also affects the child’s demonstrated mathematics ability, generating gains for boys and losses for girls. Our findings highlight how the informational environment in which children grow up can shape their beliefs and academic ability. Eble and Hu show how a common stereotype—the belief that boys are innately better at mathematics than girls—transmits across generations through children’s peers and creates a self-fulfilling prophecy, pushing maths scores up for boys and down for girls.
Article
Full-text available
The predictive processing framework posits that people continuously use predictive principles when interacting with, learning from, and interpreting their surroundings. Here, we suggest that the same framework may help explain how people process self-relevant knowledge and maintain a stable and positive self-concept. Specifically, we recast two prominent self-relevant motivations, self-verification and self-enhancement, in predictive processing (PP) terms. We suggest that these self-relevant motivations interact with the self-concept (i.e., priors) to create strong predictions. These predictions, in turn, influence how people interpret information about themselves. In particular, we argue that these strong self-relevant predictions dictate how prediction error, the deviation from the original prediction, is processed. In contrast to many implementations of the PP framework, we suggest that predictions and priors emanating from stable constructs (such as the self-concept) cultivate belief-maintaining, rather than belief-updating, dynamics. Based on recent findings, we also postulate that evidence supporting a predicted model of the self (or interpreted as such) triggers subjective reward responses, potentially reinforcing existing beliefs. Characterizing the role of rewards in self-belief maintenance and reframing self-relevant motivations and rewards in predictive processing terms offers novel insights into how the self is maintained in neurotypical adults, as well as in pathological populations, potentially pointing to therapeutic implications.
Article
Full-text available
Employees with overweight or obesity are often stereotyped as lazy, unmotivated, and less competent than employees with normal weight. As a consequence, employees with overweight or obesity are susceptible to stereotype threat, or the concern about confirming, or being reduced to, a stereotype about their group. This survey study examined whether employees with overweight or obesity experience stereotype threat in the workplace, whether it is associated with their perceived ability to meet their work demands (i.e., work ability), and whether high levels of knowledge about one’s self (i.e., authentic self-awareness) can offset a potential negative association. Using a correlational study design, survey data were collected from N = 758 full-time employees at three measurement points across 3 months. Employees’ average body mass index (BMI) was 26.36 kg/m² (SD = 5.45); 34% of participants were employees with overweight (BMI between 25 and <30), and 18% of participants were employees with obesity (BMI > 30). Employees with higher weight and higher BMI reported more weight-based stereotype threat (rs between 0.17 and 0.19, p < 0.001). Employees who experienced higher levels of weight-based stereotype threat reported lower work ability, while controlling for weight, height, and subjective weight (β = −0.27, p < 0.001). Authentic self-awareness moderated the relationship between weight-based stereotype threat and work ability (β = 0.14, p < 0.001), such that the relationship between stereotype threat and work ability was negative among employees with low authentic self-awareness (β = −0.25, p < 0.001), and non-significant among employees with high authentic self-awareness (β = 0.08, p = 0.315). The findings of this study contribute to the literature by showing that weight-based stereotype threat is negatively associated with employees’ perceived ability to meet their work demands, particularly among those employees with low authentic self-awareness.
Article
Full-text available
Increasing academic participation among students from ethnic-racial underrepresented groups in STEM yields societal benefits including ameliorating economic ramifications of the labor shortages in STEM, improving scientific innovation, and providing opportunity, access, and participation in high-status STEM fields. Two longitudinal studies with students from underrepresented groups investigated the role of active learning interventions in the development of STEM self-efficacy and intentions to pursue STEM in the future. Study 1 longitudinally tracked high school students participating in a 4-week geoscience program that applied active learning techniques ranging from hands on experiments to peer discussion. High school student participants displayed increases in self-efficacy and STEM intentions from the start to completion of the program, an effect that was observed exclusively among those who reported strong program quality. Study 2 examined the role of mentorship effectiveness with a sample of community college STEM students interested in transferring to a 4-year college. Students’ relatively strong self-efficacy and STEM intentions at the start of the semester remained stable through the end of the semester. Altogether, the present research highlights the role of positive, inclusive educational climates in promoting STEM success among students from underrepresented group members.
Article
Purpose Social isolation, anxiety, and depression have significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic among college students. We examine a key protective factor—students’ sense of belonging with their college—to understand (1) how belongingness varies overall and for key sociodemographic groups (first-generation, underrepresented racial/ethnic minority students, first-year students) amidst COVID-19 and (2) if feelings of belonging buffer students from adverse mental health in college. Methods Longitudinal models and regression analysis was assessed using data from a longitudinal study of college students (N = 1,004) spanning (T1; Fall 2019) and amidst COVID-19 (T2; Spring 2020). Results Despite reporting high levels of belonging pre- and post-COVID, consistent with past research, underrepresented racial/ethnic minority/first-generation students reported relatively lower sense of belonging compared to peers. Feelings of belonging buffered depressive symptoms and to a lesser extent anxiety amidst COVID among all students. Conclusions College students’ sense of belonging continues to be an important predictor of mental health even amidst the pandemic, conveying the importance of an inclusive climate.
Article
Background Communities have better health outcomes when their clinicians reflect the diversity of the communities they serve. More than 50% of Australian medical school graduates are female, yet women represent less than 5% of Australian orthopaedic surgeons. Selection into orthopaedic surgical training in Australia is an annual, nation-wide process, based on curriculum vitae (CV), referee reports and performance in multiple mini-interviews (MMI). The influence of applicant gender on these selection scores was examined. Methods The CV, referee reports and MMI scores used for selection for each year from 2007 to 2019 were analysed from the perspective of the applicant's gender. Results Over the years of the study, male applicants had higher CV scores and referee report scores, which determined the gender proportions invited to interview. By contrast, the interview process and selection from interview did not demonstrate a gender association. Conclusion We describe the impact of selection tools, utilized over the past 13 years, on the gender diversity of trainees commencing orthopaedic surgery training in Australia. Leaders in postgraduate training should examine commonly used selection procedures to identify and reduce the unconscious biases that may affect their performance and value.
Article
The present study examined critical consciousness in a sample of 476 adults of color from a Psychology of Working perspective. Using structural equation modeling, we tested three components of critical consciousness—perceived inequality, egalitarian beliefs, and sociopolitical participation—as moderators of relations between marginalization, economic constraints, work volition, career adaptability, and decent work. As hypothesized, perceived inequality and sociopolitical participation moderated paths from marginalization to career adaptability, work volition, and decent work. Perceived inequality moderated paths from economic constraints to career adaptability and decent work, but in inconsistent directions. We discuss practical implications and future research directions. Our results contribute to the growing support for the Psychology of Working Theory.
ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any references for this publication.