Adolescents’ Math Ability Gender Stereotypes and Motivational Beliefs: Testing for Replication Across Two Datasets

• In Event: New Perspectives on the STEM Gender Disparities: Children’s Interlocking Beliefs about Fields and Social Groups

Abstract

The gender stereotype that boys are better in math than girls exacerbates gender gaps by promoting boys in math while hindering girls (Breda et al., 2020). However, prior research is largely based on White students and has not systematically examined the associations in other races/ethnicities–leaving uncertainties to whether these students hold similar biases. Furthermore, replication is needed to test the robustness of math gender stereotypes and their relations to motivational beliefs across adolescence. Using two longitudinal U.S. datasets that span 1993 to 2011, we conducted a replication study examining the prevalence of adolescents’ math ability gender stereotypes, including examining longitudinal changes over time, group differences, and relations to motivational beliefs. Based on prior research (Skinner et al., 2021; Starr & Simpkins, 2021) and situated expectancy-value theory (Eccles & Wigfield, 2020), we hypothesized that (a) adolescents will become significantly more biased towards the traditional stereotype across adolescence, (b) boys, White, and Asian youth would hold stronger traditional stereotypes than girls, Black, and Latinx youth, (c) stereotypes would relate to motivational beliefs (positively for boys, negatively for girls), and (d) results would replicate when analyzed within race and gender.
Method. Data were obtained from the High School Longitudinal Study (HSLS; 2009-2012) dataset and the Maryland Adolescent Development in Context Study (MADICS; 1993-1996) dataset. HSLS included 23,340 high schoolers surveyed in grades 9th and 11th (50% girls, 53% White, 22% Latinx, 13% Black, 3% Asian). MADICS included 1,482 adolescents surveyed in grades 8th and 11th (49% girls, 60% Black, 30% White). To measure math stereotypes, adolescents rated whether they thought males or females were better at math (-2 = females are much better to 2 = males are much better). Combined effect sizes across datasets were computed and replication was tested when possible (Hedges & Schauer, 2019).
Results and Discussion. Early adolescents (8th/9th grade) were more likely to hold stereotypes that favored their own gender or were not biased towards either gender. By late adolescence (11th grade), students’ stereotypes had increased towards the traditional stereotype that boys are better in both datasets (ps = .002 to < .001). However, the trends varied by race/ethnicity. White and Asian late adolescents were significantly biased towards boys (see Table 1, Figures 1a-1b). Black and Latinx late adolescents were more likely to endorse gender egalitarian beliefs (see Table 1, Figures 1b-1c). Adolescents’ stereotypes positively related to boys’ math expectancy beliefs across adolescence in both datasets (Bs = .23 to .27, ps = .02 to <.001), and negatively to girls’ expectancy beliefs in late adolescence in both datasets (Bs = -.22 to -.28, ps = .03 to <.001). Findings replicated across datasets for Black adolescents and White boys in early and late adolescence, and White girls in early adolescence (ps = .09-.89). In sum, math gender stereotypes became more traditional across adolescence in both datasets and related to motivational beliefs. However effect sizes were small and many adolescents held non-traditional stereotypes. Findings highlight the importance of studying how developmental, social, and historical contexts shape stereotypes about math.

Authors

• Christine R Starr, University of California - Irvine
  Presenting Author

• Yannan Gao, University of California - Irvine

• Glona Lee, University of California - Irvine

• Nayssan Safavian, University of California, Irvine

• Charlott Rubach, University of California, Irvine

• Anna-Lena Dicke, University of California, Irvine

• Jacquelynne S. Eccles, University of California, Irvine

• Sandra Simpkins, University of California - Irvine