Does Stereotype Threat Affect Men in Language Domains?

Abstract

Currently, boys and men tend to underperform in language domains in school and on standardized tests, and they are also underrepresented in language-related fields of study. Stereotype threat is one way in which psychologists have found that stereotypes can affect students’ performance and sense of belonging in academic subjects and test settings Researchers have traditionally found that when girls and women are reminded of stereotypes that math is for boys, girls and women tend to underperform on math tests. Stereotype threat has also been found to affect women’s sense of belonging in math settings. We sought to test whether stereotypes that women have better language skills than men would affect men in the same way. We conducted a series of four experiments (N=542) testing the effect of explicit stereotype threats on men’s performance in language-related tasks, and their sense of belonging to language-related domains. We found little evidence for stereotype threat effects on men in language tasks. Mini-meta analyses revealed aggregate effect sizes indistinguishable from zero across our studies, and Bayesian analysis suggested that the null hypothesis was consistently more likely than the alternative. Future research should explore other explanations for gender gaps in language.

Relations between gender stereotyping and foreign language attainment: The mediating role of language learners’ anxiety and self‐efficacy

“…In a nutshell, the more efficacious students feel about their learning due to their gender stereotypes, the more likely they are to engage with and attain their language learning and development goals. With these findings, our study expands upon previous research (Carr & Pauwels, 2006; Chaffee, Lou, & Noels, 2020; Chaffee et al., 2020; Pomerantz, 2008; Schmenk, 2004) in showing how gender stereotypes are relevant for EFL learners’ self‐efficacy and anxiety and therefore their actual language attainment.…”

“…Second, due to the correlational nature of the results, no causation can be inferred. Researchers seeking a causal explanation should adopt an experimental approach such as using stereotype threat manipulations (e.g., Chaffee et al., 2020; Keller, 2007) and investigate the effects of gender stereotypes on EFL achievement accordingly.…”

Stereotype Threat Theory in Organizational Research: Constructive Analysis and Future Research Agenda

“…As a result, many scholars have cautioned that there is not enough rigorous evidence that stereotype threat is the primary cause of intergroup differences in test performance (Sackett et al, 2004; Shewach, Sackett, & Quint, 2019). Their critique, combined with studies providing disconfirming evidence (e.g., Chaffee, Lou, & Noels, 2020), raises concerns about the validity of how stereotyped threat is evoked and then reflected in subsequent outcomes.…”

Men, Women, and STEM: Why the Differences and What Should Be Done?

“…The studies in question include several meta-analyses (Flore & Wicherts, 2015;Stoet & Geary, 2012), a number of large, pre-registered replications (Finnigan & Corker, 2016;Flore et al, 2019), and an analysis of 5.5 million chess games played in international tournaments, which found that women's performance was better, rather than worse, under conditions of stereotype threat (Stafford, 2018). Meanwhile, on the other side of the ledger, a recent study failed to replicate the finding that stereotype threat impairs men's performance on tests of language ability (Chaffee et al, 2019). At the very least, the effects of stereotype threat are more modest and situationally contingent than was originally assumed.…”