Stereotype Threat
What is it? Can it be overcome? And what does it mean for women -- and men -- pursuing careers in math and science?
Jennifer Steele, Associate Professor of Psychology
York University, Toronto, Canada
Despite the fact that there is increased gender diversity in the workforce, fewer women than men pursue and succeed in prestigious careers in the math and science domains. Steele reviews the research on "stereotype threat" -- experimental evidence that gender stereotypes are a continuing, yet hidden, barrier to women's advancement in math and science.
Steele suggests evidence that interventions can be introduced and contexts can be changed that subsequently decrease and even eliminate these barriers. Lastly, she will offer proof that gender differences are disappearing in some areas, and she will point to the implications that has for both women and men in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields.
As an associate professor of psychology at York University, Steele conducts research on stereotyping and interpersonal expectancies. In particular, she studies the effect of gender and racial primes and interpersonal interactions on people's attitudes, evaluations, and behavior. She also examines stereotype development and implicit social cognition among minority children. Steele earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in social psychology from Harvard University's Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. She completed a post-doc at the University of Waterloo before joining the Faculty of Health at York University.
This talk is part of the Women in Math and Science program. It is sponsored by a grant from the ACS Mellon Foundation.
