Does enhanced expectancy mitigate the negative impact of gender stereotype threat on women's motor learning, perceived competence and self-efficacy?

backgroundA substantial body of literature has demonstrated that women may be negatively influenced by gender stereotypes, especially when induced in an evaluative situation, during a task where a negative stereotype toward women exists (e.g., soccer). Although numerous studies have been conducted with the aim of reducing these negative effects of stereotype threat, exploring newer methods such as using enhanced expectancy, achieved through the simplification of task criteria for success, could be significant. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to explore how enhanced expectancy could mitigate the negative impact of gender stereotype threat on women’s motor learning, perceived competence, and self-efficacy.

methodsThe participants were 99 novice women (Mage = 21.55 ± 2.65 years) who were randomly divided into three groups (1- Gender stereotype threat + easy criteria for success, 2- Gender stereotype threat and 3- Nullified-stereotype group). On the first day and after completing 12 trials of soccer kicking task as a pretest, the participants completed the perceived competence as well as self-efficacy scale and then practiced in 5 blocks of 12 trails during practice phase. At the end of the first day, the participants completed the perceived competence and the self-efficacy scale again, and the stereotype threat and task difficulty checklists. On the second day (24 h after the practice phase), participants completed self-efficacy scale again and then took a 12-trial retention test.

resultsThe results showed that participants in both the stereotype threat + relatively easy criteria and the nullified-stereotype groups performed better than the stereotype threat group (p < 0.001) while there was no difference between the stereotype threat + relatively easy criteria and nullified-stereotype groups (P > 0.05). Interestingly, these results highlighted that enhanced expectancy, achieved through the simplification of task criteria, could mitigate the negative impact of stereotype threat. Furthermore, although the results of this study failed to show a significant difference in perceived competence (p > 0.05), the findings showed that the self-efficacy levels of learners in the stereotype threat group were significantly lower than the nullified-stereotype and stereotype threat/ enhanced expectancy groups (p < 0.05) while there was no difference between two stereotype threat + relatively easy criteria and nullified-stereotype groups (P > 0.05).

conclusionUltimately, this is emphasized to coaches and practitioners working with adult women that they should aim to reduce the potential negative impact of gender stereotype threats on motor learning by using enhanced expectancy, achieved through the simplification of task criteria for success.