Gender Stereotype of Academic Capacity in Primary School and Its Influence on Interest Selection:The Role of Self-Affirmation

Huang Liangjiecheng; Yan Yan; Hu Yinfeng; Sun Hongli; Jiao Lan; Yin Jun

doi:10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20240411

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Journal of Psychological Science ›› 2024, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (4) : 855-862. DOI: 10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20240411

Gender Stereotype of Academic Capacity in Primary School and Its Influence on Interest Selection:The Role of Self-Affirmation

Huang Liangjiecheng¹, Yan Yan^1,2, Hu Yinfeng¹, Sun Hongli¹, Jiao Lan¹, Yin Jun¹

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Abstract

In recent years, the idea of “strong girls and weak boys” has gained attention. For example, an increasing number of girls in primary and secondary schools outperform boys in academic performance. Moreover, the number of female graduate students has been exceeding that of males in the field of higher education in China. Previous studies on gender stereotypes of academic capacity in Western samples have suggested that boys are better than girls. However, the findings of these studies are not consistent with the idea of “strong girls and weak boys” in Chinese education. Few studies have discussed the development of gender stereotypes about academic abilities in the current Chinese education background. Therefore, using a cross-sectional design, this study examined the gender stereotype of academic capacity among primary school students in lower grades (i.e., grades 1 to 3) and its influence on interest selection. We also investigated whether self-affirmation interventions may change interest choice by mitigating the development of gender stereotypes of academic capacity.
Three experiments were conducted. The first experiment aimed to understand the developmental characteristics of gender stereotypes of academic abilities in primary school students. Primary school students were selected and asked to choose characters from a story with “smart” characteristics, by allowing them to choose the sex of their chosen characters. The second experiment included primary school students in an interest selection game, which let them choose the game that needs a “smart” or “hard” trait in order to win. This helped to measure gender stereotype of academic capacity and to investigate the influence of gender stereotype on children's interest choices. The final experiment explored the role of self-affirmation in the development of gender stereotypes of academic capacity and its influence on interest choice.
Our results showed that (1) primary school students in lower grades (first and second grades) hold gender stereotypes of academic ability that girls are smarter than boys. (2) Gender differences in third-grade students exist in the choices of interest—girls are more interested in games that require “smart” traits, with gender stereotypes of their academic ability playing a mediating role. (3) Self-affirmation can effectively weaken the gender stereotypes of academic ability of third-grade boys, thus enhancing their interest in “smart” games.
This study reveals that the belief of “strong girls and weak boys” exists in the lower grades of primary school, which greatly affects the choice of third-grade boys in choosing tasks of interest. Therefore, we suggest that the attempt to change students' beliefs through teaching and activity design interventions should be better implemented before the third grade. The self-affirmation method could be effective by facilitating activities that promote boys' confidence in the academic field and by instilling a “strong boys” belief.

Key words

primary school students / academic ability / gender stereotypes / self-affirmation

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Huang Liangjiecheng, Yan Yan, Hu Yinfeng, Sun Hongli, Jiao Lan, Yin Jun. Gender Stereotype of Academic Capacity in Primary School and Its Influence on Interest Selection:The Role of Self-Affirmation[J]. Journal of Psychological Science. 2024, 47(4): 855-862 https://doi.org/10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20240411

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