![Page 1: Stereotypes & Stereotype Threat Affect Computing Students National Center for Women & Information technology (NCWIT), J. Mcgrath Cohoon & the Academic](https://reader030.vdocuments.us/reader030/viewer/2022032606/56649e935503460f94b98b5d/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Stereotypes & Stereotype Threat
Affect Computing Students
National Center for Women & Information technology (NCWIT), J. Mcgrath Cohoon & the Academic Alliance
![Page 2: Stereotypes & Stereotype Threat Affect Computing Students National Center for Women & Information technology (NCWIT), J. Mcgrath Cohoon & the Academic](https://reader030.vdocuments.us/reader030/viewer/2022032606/56649e935503460f94b98b5d/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Stereotypes Are Good …Mental shortcuts for generalizing knowledge to other situations
![Page 3: Stereotypes & Stereotype Threat Affect Computing Students National Center for Women & Information technology (NCWIT), J. Mcgrath Cohoon & the Academic](https://reader030.vdocuments.us/reader030/viewer/2022032606/56649e935503460f94b98b5d/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
And Stereotypes Are Bad … They can lead to mistakes, or miscategorization
African Americans
with modification by Cohoon 2012
![Page 4: Stereotypes & Stereotype Threat Affect Computing Students National Center for Women & Information technology (NCWIT), J. Mcgrath Cohoon & the Academic](https://reader030.vdocuments.us/reader030/viewer/2022032606/56649e935503460f94b98b5d/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Common Stereotype: Feminine ≠ Technical
Lagesen 2005
![Page 5: Stereotypes & Stereotype Threat Affect Computing Students National Center for Women & Information technology (NCWIT), J. Mcgrath Cohoon & the Academic](https://reader030.vdocuments.us/reader030/viewer/2022032606/56649e935503460f94b98b5d/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Race, age, body mass, … all have associated stereotypes
Example: Who scores higher on math tests?
-White male engineering students?
-Asian male engineering students?
Stereotypes Aren’t Just About Gender
![Page 6: Stereotypes & Stereotype Threat Affect Computing Students National Center for Women & Information technology (NCWIT), J. Mcgrath Cohoon & the Academic](https://reader030.vdocuments.us/reader030/viewer/2022032606/56649e935503460f94b98b5d/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Fear of confirming negative beliefs about my group …
» Hinders performance» Affects choices and
aspirations» Leads to harsh
personal standards, opting out if not met
Stereotypes Can Create Threatening Situations
Correll 2004; Chasteen et al. 2005
![Page 7: Stereotypes & Stereotype Threat Affect Computing Students National Center for Women & Information technology (NCWIT), J. Mcgrath Cohoon & the Academic](https://reader030.vdocuments.us/reader030/viewer/2022032606/56649e935503460f94b98b5d/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Stereotype Threat: Easy to Trigger; Affects Motivated StudentsSome triggers:Gender imbalance in roomStereotyped physical spaceAttention called to gender
![Page 8: Stereotypes & Stereotype Threat Affect Computing Students National Center for Women & Information technology (NCWIT), J. Mcgrath Cohoon & the Academic](https://reader030.vdocuments.us/reader030/viewer/2022032606/56649e935503460f94b98b5d/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Stereotype Threat Masks Ability
Remove threat and women test better» Advanced calculus
course with 100 male, 57 female students
» No gender difference in course grades
» Significant difference in test performance without threat
Good, Aronson, Harder, 2008
![Page 9: Stereotypes & Stereotype Threat Affect Computing Students National Center for Women & Information technology (NCWIT), J. Mcgrath Cohoon & the Academic](https://reader030.vdocuments.us/reader030/viewer/2022032606/56649e935503460f94b98b5d/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
Stereotype Threat Reduces Learning and Persistence
» Note-taking skill reduced by stereotype threat
» Feelings of belonging impaired
Appel et al. 2011; Good et al. 2012
![Page 10: Stereotypes & Stereotype Threat Affect Computing Students National Center for Women & Information technology (NCWIT), J. Mcgrath Cohoon & the Academic](https://reader030.vdocuments.us/reader030/viewer/2022032606/56649e935503460f94b98b5d/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
» Don’t speak up in groups or classes
» Reluctant to take leadership roles
» Discount their performance
Stereotype Threat Has Subtle Negative Effects Too
![Page 11: Stereotypes & Stereotype Threat Affect Computing Students National Center for Women & Information technology (NCWIT), J. Mcgrath Cohoon & the Academic](https://reader030.vdocuments.us/reader030/viewer/2022032606/56649e935503460f94b98b5d/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
![Page 12: Stereotypes & Stereotype Threat Affect Computing Students National Center for Women & Information technology (NCWIT), J. Mcgrath Cohoon & the Academic](https://reader030.vdocuments.us/reader030/viewer/2022032606/56649e935503460f94b98b5d/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Some Interventions That Work
» Emphasize growth in intelligence
» Normalize
» “Wise” feedback
» Self-affirmation of values
Aronson et al. 2002; Good et al. 2008; Cohen & Steele 2002; Purdie-Vaughns & Garcia 2011
![Page 13: Stereotypes & Stereotype Threat Affect Computing Students National Center for Women & Information technology (NCWIT), J. Mcgrath Cohoon & the Academic](https://reader030.vdocuments.us/reader030/viewer/2022032606/56649e935503460f94b98b5d/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Emphasize Growth in Intelligence
The effort to master difficult material actually increases intellectual ability
![Page 14: Stereotypes & Stereotype Threat Affect Computing Students National Center for Women & Information technology (NCWIT), J. Mcgrath Cohoon & the Academic](https://reader030.vdocuments.us/reader030/viewer/2022032606/56649e935503460f94b98b5d/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
Normalize the Struggle to Master
It takes some time for most people to “get” this
Keep working on it and it will click
I’ll help
![Page 15: Stereotypes & Stereotype Threat Affect Computing Students National Center for Women & Information technology (NCWIT), J. Mcgrath Cohoon & the Academic](https://reader030.vdocuments.us/reader030/viewer/2022032606/56649e935503460f94b98b5d/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
Provide “Wise” Feedback
“I’m being critical, but I’m holding you to a high standard … I know you can do it” Results: Black students more likely to revise their work; grade gap between Black and White students reduced
![Page 16: Stereotypes & Stereotype Threat Affect Computing Students National Center for Women & Information technology (NCWIT), J. Mcgrath Cohoon & the Academic](https://reader030.vdocuments.us/reader030/viewer/2022032606/56649e935503460f94b98b5d/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
Self-Affirmation
Identify your most important value(s):» E.g., relationships with
friends, family, being good at …
Write a short paragraph about why this value is important to you.
Confirm: “In general, I try to live up to these values.”
![Page 17: Stereotypes & Stereotype Threat Affect Computing Students National Center for Women & Information technology (NCWIT), J. Mcgrath Cohoon & the Academic](https://reader030.vdocuments.us/reader030/viewer/2022032606/56649e935503460f94b98b5d/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
Conclusion
Women and minority students are in our classes under different circumstances than
majority men are.
Nevertheless, we can create an environment that fosters ability, learning, and persistence
of diverse students.
![Page 18: Stereotypes & Stereotype Threat Affect Computing Students National Center for Women & Information technology (NCWIT), J. Mcgrath Cohoon & the Academic](https://reader030.vdocuments.us/reader030/viewer/2022032606/56649e935503460f94b98b5d/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
Learn More
Create a stereotype threat-free environment for attracting able and diverse students to computing.
See the resources listed on NCWIT’s Talk with Faculty Colleagues About Stereotype Threat (www.ncwit.org/stereotypethreattp)
![Page 19: Stereotypes & Stereotype Threat Affect Computing Students National Center for Women & Information technology (NCWIT), J. Mcgrath Cohoon & the Academic](https://reader030.vdocuments.us/reader030/viewer/2022032606/56649e935503460f94b98b5d/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
Questions?Comments?
![Page 20: Stereotypes & Stereotype Threat Affect Computing Students National Center for Women & Information technology (NCWIT), J. Mcgrath Cohoon & the Academic](https://reader030.vdocuments.us/reader030/viewer/2022032606/56649e935503460f94b98b5d/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
NCWIT is the National Center for Women & Information Technology
Our coalition includes more than 250 universities, corporations, and non-profits.
Mobilizing for Change: NCWIT