Having a short group discussion about why a negative stereotype is invalid is enough to overcome that stereotype and improve performance.
Psychologist Dr Laura Smith from the University of Queensland conducted two studies with 380 undergraduate university students to debunk the stereotype that women are not as skilled at mathematics as men. Dr Smith found that women performed better on a maths exam after they had joined in a group discussion about why that stereotype was not true. Similarly, women who discussed why the stereotype might be true did not perform as well as their male counterparts on the maths exam.
Dr Smith said the findings had huge implications for learning and work. Stereotypes can affect performance in many areas including women and career choice, race and academic performance, and social class.
Dr Smith argues that discussion can be used to promote positive social change and eliminate some of these inequalities.