Journal Article

Reducing the Gender Achievement Gap in College Science: A Classroom Study of Values Affirmation

Pollock, Steven J, Kost-Smith, Lauren E, Miyake, Akira, Ito, Tiffany A, Finkelstein, Noah D, Cohen, Geoffrey L

2010

Overview

In many science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines, women are outperformed by men in test scores, jeopardizing their success in science-oriented courses and careers. The current study tested the effectiveness of a psychological intervention, called values affirmation, in reducing the gender achievement gap in a college-level introductory physics class. In this randomized double-blind study, 399 students either wrote about their most important values or not, twice at the beginning of the 15-week course. Values affirmation reduced the male-female performance and learning difference substantially and elevated women's modal grades from the C to B range. Benefits were strongest for women who tended to endorse the stereotype that men do better than women in physics. A brief psychological intervention may be a promising way to address the gender gap in science performance and learning.

• Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subject: Achievement / Biological and medical sciences / Classrooms / Colleges / Educational Measurement / Educational psychology / Elevated / Engineering / Female / Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology / gender / Gender identity / Gender performativity / Humans / Learning / Male / Mathematical analysis / Mathematics / Men / Physics / Physics - education / Psychoeducational intervention / Psychology / Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry / Psychology. Psychophysiology / Pupil and student. Academic achievement and failure / Self Concept / Sex Factors / Social Values / Standardized tests / Stereotypes / Stereotyping / Students / Universities / women