title: A stereotype threat account of boys' academic underachievement.
abstract: Three studies examined the role of stereotype threat in boys' academic underachievement. Study 1 (children aged 4-10, n = 238) showed that girls from age 4 years and boys from age 7 years believed, and thought adults believed, that boys are academically inferior to girls. Study 2 manipulated stereotype threat, informing children aged 7-8 years (n = 162) that boys tend to do worse than girls at school. This manipulation hindered boys' performance on a reading, writing, and math test, but did not affect girls' performance. Study 3 counteracted stereotype threat, informing children aged 6-9 years (n = 184) that boys and girls were expected to perform similarly. This improved the performance of boys and did not affect that of girls.
authors: University of Kent.
authors: Bonny L
authors: BL
authors: Hartley
authors: Robbie M
authors: RM
authors: Sutton
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D059031:Anticipation, Psychological; D001290:Attitude; D001364:Awareness; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010465:Perception; D012737:Sex Factors; D013240:Stereotyping; D014477:Underachievement