Does Stereotype Threat Affect Men in Language Domains?

2020/07/08 by Kathryn Everhart Chaffee, Nigel Mantou Lou, Kimberly A. Noels · 1 voice · 1 citation
Social Sciences · #Social and Intergroup Psychology #Gender Studies in Language #Gender Diversity and Inequality

paper · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01302

openalex publication_date 2020/07/08 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30

Abstract

Boys and men tend to underperform in language education, and they are also underrepresented in language-related fields. Research suggests that stereotypes can affect students’ performance and sense of belonging in academic subjects and test settings via stereotype threat. For example, girls and women sometimes underperform on math tests following reminders that math is for boys. We sought to test whether stereotypes that women have better language skills than men would affect men. In a series of four experiments (N=542), we tested the effect of explicit stereotype threats on men’s performance in language-related tasks, and their sense of belonging to language-related domains. We found little evidence for stereotype threat effects on men in language. Bayesian analysis suggested that the null hypothesis was consistently more likely than the alternative, and mini-meta analyses showed effect sizes near zero. Future research should explore other explanations for gender gaps in language.

Citations

• Gender and motivation
• Towards a Full Model of Second Language Learning: An Empirical Investigation
• “Michael can’t read!” Teachers’ gender stereotypes and boys’ reading self-concept.
• Beyond Culture Learning Theory
• A Vast Graveyard of Undead Theories
• Measuring Language Mindsets and Modeling Their Relations With Goal Orientations and Emotional and Behavioral Responses in Failure Situations

Cited by

• Relations between gender stereotyping and foreign language attainment: The mediating role of language learners’ anxiety and self‐efficacy

Discussions

• A paper I worked long and hard on with @Nigel_M_Lou and @iclabua is published today!Does Stereotype Threat Affect Men in Language Domains?" doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.… [bsky, 0 points, 1 comments]

Related

• When stereotypes disadvantage boys: Strength of stereotypes in mathematics and language arts and their relations with grades
• An Experimental Study of the Effects of Stereotype Threat and Stereotype Lift on Men and Women's Performance in Mathematics
• Relations between gender stereotyping and foreign language attainment: The mediating role of language learners’ anxiety and self‐efficacy
• Stereotype Threat in Applied Settings Re‐Examined
• Does Inclusive Language Increase the Visibility of Women, or Does It Simply Decrease the Visibility of Men? A Missing Piece of the Inclusive Language Jigsaw