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This paper
reports two studies examining the impact of attributions
for gender differences in math on math performance. In Experiment 1, men and women completed a math test,
then a reading comprehension test, and a second math
test. The content of the reading comprehension
essay served as the experimental manipulation. Two
essays acknowledged gender differences in math
performance but they attributed those differences either
to genetic or experiential causes. A third essay
denied gender differences in mathematics, and a fourth
essay focused on gender but did not discuss performance
in math. Performance on the math test was poorer for
women who read intervening essays that either attributed
math differences to genetic factors or that made gender
salient without mentioning math performance compared
with the essays emphasizing no gender differences or
that attributed differences to experience. Experiment 2
replicated these effects with a different design.
These results suggest that invoking a genetic or
biological basis for stereotypes undermines performance,
whereas attributing differences to experience might
ameliorate stereotype threat effects.
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