2019 Thorson UnderThreatButEngaged
The paper investigates how stereotype threat (ST) affects women’s engagement during collaborative math problem solving. Building on the stereotype threat literature, the authors hypothesize that ST can shift women’s appraisal of a task toward a threat state, which may either increase or decrease their engagement depending on the gender of the interaction partner. A pilot study confirmed that a diagnostic math task performed before male evaluators induced higher perceived demands (threat) for women but not for men. In the main experiments (Studies 1A and 1B), undergraduate participants identified as strong in math were paired into dyads. Dyads were either in a stereotype‑threat condition (participants completed the diagnostic task before a joint math problem‑solving task) or a control condition. Partner gender was manipulated: female‑female dyads and female‑male dyads. Engagement was measured behaviorally (number of math‑related questions asked per three‑question segment) and physiologically via pre‑ejection period (PEP) as an index of sympathetic activation, allowing assessment of physiological linkage (cross‑lagged influence) between partners. Key findings: (1) In female‑female dyads, women who experienced ST asked significantly more questions than control women and showed stronger physiological linkage to their partners, without a performance penalty. (2) In female‑male dyads, threatened women did not increase question‑asking and showed no physiological linkage to male partners; overall, women performed worse than men regardless of condition. (3) Statistical models (stability and influence models) revealed that partner talk time moderated physiological linkage, especially for ST targets. (4) Across trials, women’s likelihood of answering correctly improved over time but remained lower than men’s in the threat condition. The authors conclude that stereotype threat can motivate increased engagement with same‑gender peers but hampers interaction with opposite‑gender peers, suggesting that interventions to improve women’s STEM participation should consider partner dynamics and physiological synchrony. The paper contributes a novel dyadic perspective to stereotype threat research, integrating behavioral and physiological metrics to elucidate how threat shapes collaborative learning.
Topics
Theoretical Framework and Gender‑Specific Engagement Hypotheses
The authors integrate stereotype‑threat theory with appraisal‑based motivation, proposing that threat shifts women’s task appraisal toward a high‑demand/low‑resource state, which in turn drives divergent engagement strategies with same‑ versus opposite‑gender partners.
Pilot Validation of the Threat Manipulation
A preliminary study confirmed that completing a diagnostic math task before male evaluators raised women’s perceived demand‑resource ratio (threat) but had no effect on men, establishing the manipulation for the main experiments.
Experimental Design: Dyadic Math Task, Conditions, and Partner Gender Manipulation
Undergraduate participants identified as strong in math were paired into dyads (female‑female or female‑male) and assigned to either a stereotype‑threat condition (diagnostic task before joint problem‑solving) or a control condition. Engagement was measured behaviorally (questions per three‑question segment) and physiologically (pre‑ejection period, PEP).
Engagement Findings: Question‑Asking Behavior and Physiological Linkage
In female‑female dyads, threatened women asked significantly more math‑related questions and exhibited stronger cross‑lagged physiological linkage (PEP) with their partners, without performance loss. In female‑male dyads, threatened women showed no increase in questioning and no physiological synchrony with male partners.
Performance Outcomes Across Gender, Condition, and Partner Type
Accuracy analyses revealed that, overall, women performed worse than men, especially in the threat condition with male partners. Trial‑by‑trial models showed women’s likelihood of correct answers improved over time but remained lower than men’s under threat.
Implications for STEM Engagement Interventions
The results suggest that stereotype threat can motivate women to engage more with same‑gender peers but hampers interaction with opposite‑gender peers, highlighting the need for interventions that consider partner dynamics and promote physiological synchrony to support women’s STEM participation.