title: Creating a critical mass eliminates the effects of stereotype threat on women's mathematical performance.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Women in mathematical domains may become attuned to situational cues that signal a discredited social identity, contributing to their lower achievement and underrepresentation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study examined whether heightened in-group representation alleviates the effects of stereotype threat on women's mathematical performance. It further investigated whether single-sex testing environments and stereotype threat influenced participants to believe that their ability was fixed (fixed mindset) rather than a trait that could be developed (growth mindset).
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and forty-four female participants were assigned randomly to a self-as-target or group-as-target stereotype threat condition or to a control condition. They completed a modular arithmetic maths test and a mindset questionnaire either alone or in same-sex groups of 3-5 individuals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants solved fewer mathematical problems under self-as-target and group-as-target stereotype threat when they were tested alone, but these performance deficits were eliminated when they were tested in single-sex groups. Participants reported a weaker growth mindset when they were tested under stereotype threat and in single-sex groups. Moreover, evidence of inconsistent mediation indicated that single-sex testing environments negatively predicted mindset but positively predicted mathematical performance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that single-sex testing environments may represent a practical intervention to alleviate stereotype threat effects but may have a paradoxical effect on mindset.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, Lancashire, UK.
authors.forename: Charlotte R
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5259-642X
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Pennington
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, Lancashire, UK.
authors.forename: Derek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Heim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006126:Group Processes; D006801:Humans; D055641:Mathematical Concepts; D012649:Self Concept; D013240:Stereotyping; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D058013:Test Taking Skills / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: critical mass; mindset; single-sex classrooms; social identity; stereotype threat