Predicting stereotype endorsement and academic motivation in women in science programs: A longitudinal model

Abstract

This study proposed and tested a model based on stereotype threat theory. The hypothesis is that women who are exposed to a low percentage of women in a science program are more likely to endorse the gender stereotype that science is a male domain, which will in turn undermine their autonomous academic motivation. A total of 167 women university students enrolled in science programs participated in an 18-month longitudinal study. Results partially support our model. Although the low percentage of females in science programs was related to endorsement of the gender stereotype, there was no effect of prior stereotype endorsement on subsequent autonomous academic motivation.

Stereotype Threat and Women's Performance in Physics

“…The males and females in the mixed-gender images condition performed similarly. In addition to performance detriments, a study by Delisle et al (2009) found that undergraduate women in science programs with a low percentage of females were more likely to endorse gender stereotypes. Finally, Steele et al (2002) found that females in male-dominated academic areas (of which sciences were included) were more likely to report feeling threatened by negative gender stereotypes about their major than their counterparts in female-dominated areas.…”

Stereotyped: Investigating Gender in Introductory Science Courses

“…Stereotype threat may be highly contextual, triggered by a survey item (Steele and Aronson, 1995), the gender of the instructor (Delisle et al. , 2009), or instructional practices (Kreutzer and Boudreaux, 2012), and can undermine academic success in several ways.…”

“…First, stereotype threat can produce stress and induce anxiety, causing a student to become more self-conscious about his or her performance and to actively try to suppress those emotions, which may tax working memory and lead to decreased performance (Steele and Aronson, 1995; Schmader et al. , 2008; Delisle et al. , 2009).…”

Characteristics expected in fields of higher education and gender stereotypical traits related to academic success: a mirror effect

“…However, research has shown some inconsistent results on the link between gender stereotypes regarding achievement in specific academic domains and academic attitudes or educational choices. For instance, Delisle et al (2009) failed to find a significant effect of prior stereotype endorsement regarding science on subsequent indicators of pleasure, satisfaction, importance and utility of studying sciences among female students enrolled in science programs. In the same manner, if Crombie and her colleagues found a direct relation between competence beliefs in math and enrollment intentions in math courses among girls (Crombie et al 2005), other studies failed to find such a link (Meece et al 1990;Parsons et al 1984;Trusty 2002).…”