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Awareness of a gender stereotype, personal beliefs and self-perceptions regarding math ability: when boys do not surpass girls

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Abstract

The negative reputation of women in mathematics and its consequences on their self-perceptions have been extensively demonstrated. However, in France and other countries, the younger the students, the less pronounced these gender differences are. The focus of this study was to explore whether children of two age groups (fourth graders and seventh graders) are aware of a math-ability gender stereotype favorable to boys, and to determine their personal beliefs on mathematics ability. The link between this gender stereotype and self-perceptions was also examined. As expected, there was not a clear-cut awareness of a math-ability gender stereotype favorable to boys. More surprising, girls in both age groups and seventh-grade boys believed that girls do better than boys. Moreover, when their gender identity was made salient, the boys who believed in girl superiority perceived their own performance in mathematics as lower. The girls, on the other hand, regardless of their age and stereotype awareness or personal beliefs, perceived their performance in math as higher when their gender identity was made salient than when it was not.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. LAPSCO, UMR 6024 CNRS, Université Blaise Pascal, 34 Avenue Carnot, Clermont-Ferrand Cedex, 63037, France

    Delphine Martinot

  2. Université Blaise Pascal, Clermont-Ferrand Cedex, France

    Michel Désert

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  1. Delphine Martinot
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  2. Michel Désert
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Correspondence to Delphine Martinot.

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Martinot, D., Désert, M. Awareness of a gender stereotype, personal beliefs and self-perceptions regarding math ability: when boys do not surpass girls. Soc Psychol Educ 10, 455–471 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-007-9028-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-007-9028-9

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