Aiming for Success or Bracing for a Failure? The Influence of Stereotype Threat on Women's Math Achievement Goals

Title:	Aiming for Success or Bracing for a Failure? The Influence of Stereotype Threat on Women's Math Achievement Goals
Author:	Bakker, Andrea I.
Description:	Steele’s (1997) concept of stereotype threat has been used to explain the poorer performance of and disidentification of stigmatized group members in situations where negative performance stereotypes exist (e.g., the disidentification of women from math). The current research examined the effects of stereotype threat on women’s achievement goal orientation and achievement goal behaviors in mathematics. Study 1 indicated that stereotype threat led to marginally lower levels of performance-avoidance goal orientation, although stereotype threat did not influence participants’ achievement goal behaviors. Study 2 also found no stereotype threat effects on achievement goal behaviors but did provide further evidence that stereotype threat leads to lower levels of performance-avoidance goal orientation. Study 2 also suggests that stereotype threat leads to lowered performance-avoidance orientation regardless of whether participants compare their performance with men or women. The implications of this research, as well as the possible role of performance-avoidance orientation as a coping mechanism, are discussed.
Permanent Link:	http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1176899976 http://hdl.handle.net/2374.OX/18217
Date:	2007

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