Riddle Me This: Using Riddles That Violate Gender Stereotypes To Demonstrate The Pervasiveness Of Stereotypes

Abstract

This paper describes a classroom demonstration that showcases how pre-existing beliefs (e.g., stereotypes) influence problem-solving. Across four studies, participants solved riddles with gender stereotype-consistent (e.g. doctor is male) or gender stereotype-inconsistent (e.g., doctor is female; barber is female) solutions. Solve time, perceived difficulty, and perceptions of the demonstration and how it influenced learning were measured. Studies 3 and 4 extended Studies 1 and 2 by measuring objective learning through a quiz on gender stereotypes and bias. Results indicate that students solved the stereotype-inconsistent riddles slower than stereotype-consistent riddles. Stereotype-inconsistent riddles were rated as more difficult to solve than stereotype-consistent riddles. Subjectively, participants perceived the demonstration to be an effective tool, enhancing their knowledge about gender stereotypes. Objectively, participants performed better on the quiz when they solved stereotype-inconsistent riddles than stereotype-consistent riddles. These findings suggest that using stereotype-inconsistent riddles in class can help understanding about gender stereotypes and bias.

The Power of Aha! On Stimulating and Guiding Students towards Self-Awareness and Critical Reflection while Teaching about Personality Psychology and Gender Stereotypes

“…One area of psychology in which this is particularly apparent is in the teaching and learning of social stereotypes (Skorinko, 2018), a key concept in applied psychology (Tomcho & Foels, 2017). Stereotyping has been described as an automatic, and to a large extent, unconscious reductive cognitive phenomenon in the categorization of groups of people (Fiske & Neuberg, 1990;Macrae et al, 1994;van Knippenberg & Dijksterhuis, 2000).…”

“…In an early example, Goldstein (1997) describes how a labeling exercise can be quite effective for introducing and illustrating the stereotyping process, whereas Adams et al (2014) demonstrate that the implicit association test can be used with good effect in the teaching of these topics. Another approach, involving in-class reflective exercises, is reported by Skorinko (2018) who, inspired by Stoeger et al (2004), worked with stereotype inconsistent riddles, a method which quantitative measures of objective and subjective learning indicated to be effective.…”