Abstract

In two studies, we examined the effect of extensive practice in approaching math on implicit identification with math, implicit math attitudes, and behavior during a math test. The results from Study 1 demonstrated that women trained to approach math showed more identification with and positive implicit attitudes toward math than women trained to avoid math. Notably, this latter pattern of findings was only evident for women low in initial identification with this field. The results from Study 2 replicated these findings by showing that women who were initially low in math identification and trained to approach math showed more implicit identification with math and attempted more items on a math test than women trained to respond to math in a neutral way. The implications of these findings for current theorizing on the gender gap in women’s representation in math related careers are discussed.

Keywords: Implicit attitudes; Implicit prejudice; Math identification; Gender gap; Approach behaviors; Stereotype threat

Article Outline

Study 1

Method

Participants and procedure

Results and discussion

Attitude IAT

Identification IAT

Study 2

Method

Participants and procedure

Results and discussion

Identification IAT

Math quiz

General discussion

References

The research reported in this paper was supported by a Social Science and Humanities Council of Canada (SSHRC) grant to the first author and by SSHRC post-doctoral and doctoral fellowships to the second and fourth authors, respectively.