Losing its expected communal value: how stereotype threat undermines women’s identity as research scientists

Abstract

The worry or concern over confirming negative gender group stereotypes, called stereotype threat, is one explanation for women's worldwide underrepresentation in undergraduate science classes and majors. But how does stereotype threat translate into fewer women motivated for science? In this quantitative study with a sample from the US, we use Expectancy Value Theory to examine whether and how stereotype threat concerns might influence women's science identification. To do this, we collected survey data from 388 women enrolled in introductory physics (male-dominated) and biology (female-dominated) undergraduate laboratory classes at three universities. We examined multiple indirect effect paths through which stereotype threat could be associated with science identity and the associated future motivation to engage in scientific research. In addition to replicating established expectancy-value theory motivational findings, results support the novel prediction that one route through which stereotype threat negatively impacts women's science identity is via effects on perceptions about the communal utility value of science. Especially among women in physics who expressed greater stereotype threat concerns than women in biology, science identification was lower to the extent that stereotype threat reduced how useful science was seen for helping other people and society. Implications for ways to create an inclusive learning context that combats stereotype threat concerns and broadens undergraduate women's participation in science are discussed.

Beneath the numbers: A review of gender disparities in undergraduate education across science, technology, engineering, and math disciplines

“…Many of these studies also demonstrate how decreases in these psychological factors are the proximate mechanisms by which stereotype threat decreases performance or retention. Studies have found that stereotype threat reduces science identity for women in a range of disciplines including biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering and some of these studies also show that this reduction in science identity mediates some of the impact of stereotype threat on persistence [68,93,95,105]. Women under stereotype threat also seem to express reduced self-efficacy across diverse STEM disciplines and this impact on self-efficacy can also mediate some of the effect of stereotype threat on persistence [1,30,93,95,101].…”

“…Additionally, in a national sample of over 9000 college students, women's interest in helping others was negatively correlated with their persistence in STEM [120]. Finally, Smith et al [93] found that women in STEM who perceived that science could not address communal goals had weaker science identities and this lower science identity predicted their attrition from STEM. Based on these studies, one possible way to address the gender gap in persistence in STEM may be to increase the perception that science can support communal goals.…”

“…Studies have found that stereotype threat reduces science identity for women in a range of disciplines including biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering and some of these studies also show that this reduction in science identity mediates some of the impact of stereotype threat on persistence [68,93,95,105]. Women under stereotype threat also seem to express reduced self-efficacy across diverse STEM disciplines and this impact on self-efficacy can also mediate some of the effect of stereotype threat on persistence [1,30,93,95,101]. Finally, sense of belonging in STEM for undergraduate women, but not graduate women, seems to be impacted by stereotype threat and mediates some of the impact of stereotype threat on performance [63,65,79,105].…”

“…Manipulations of the extent to which women experience stereotype threat have repeatedly been shown to modify women's self-reported interest in continuing in STEM [1,68,[92][93][94][95], although long-term studies of persistence are generally lacking (but see Beasley and Fischer [11]). Another robust body of literature demonstrates that stereotype threat decreases STEM women's performance on math-based exams in artificial experimental settings [91,[95][96][97][98][99][100][101][102].…”

Interest Matters

“…When students perceive value in course topics, they develop greater interest, work harder, perform better, persist longer, take additional courses, and complete their degree programs (Harackiewicz et al, 2008; Hulleman, Durik, Schweigert, & Harackiewicz, 2008). Students who see the value of a field of study experience greater involvement, more positive task attitudes, and greater identification with the domain (Brown et al, 2015; Smith, Brown, Thoman, & Deemer, 2015). …”