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Exposure to stereotype-relevant stories shapes children's implicit gender stereotypes
Katharina Block1, Antonya Marie Gonzalez2, Clement J X Choi3
1Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands.
Plos One
|August 3, 2022
Summary
Children's implicit math-gender stereotypes are malleable. Brief, counter-stereotypical stories can reduce these biases, while stereotypical stories can strengthen them in young children.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Implicit math-male stereotypes emerge in early childhood.
- These stereotypes are linked to girls' disengagement from math activities and careers.
- Understanding the malleability of these automatic stereotypes in children is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally test if brief story vignettes can alter implicit math-gender stereotypes in children.
- To investigate the impact of stereotypical, neutral, and counter-stereotypical content on these biases.
- To explore potential effects on implicit math self-concept.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 336 children aged six to eleven participated.
- Children were exposed to one of three story vignette conditions: stereotypical (math=boy), neutral, or counter-stereotypical (math=girl).
- Implicit math-gender stereotypes and implicit math self-concept were measured.
Main Results:
- Children's implicit math-gender stereotypes were responsive to the story interventions.
- Exposure to counter-stereotypical stories significantly reduced stereotypes compared to stereotypical stories.
- Stereotypical stories significantly increased implicit math-gender stereotypes, highlighting the impact of biased content.
Conclusions:
- Brief story interventions can effectively modify children's implicit math-gender stereotypes.
- Counter-stereotypical narratives show promise in mitigating biases.
- Early childhood exposure to stereotypical content can reinforce and strengthen implicit gender biases in math.
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