How Does Removing Stereotype Threat Maximize Women's Spatial Skills?

We will experimentally investigate how removing stereotype threat can maximize women’s spatial skills over time. Informing this study, the PI’s meta-analytic research found that removing stereotype threat (e.g., stating that women and men have equal spatial skills) substantially improved women’s spatial performance (d=0.52). We extend prior research by investigating the mechanisms and longitudinal effects of threat removal. As a secondary goal, we will help specify what threat removal interventions can maximize women’s spatial competence without harming men’s. By identifying mechanisms and longitudinal effects, this research can help develop effective psychosocial interventions for improving women’s success in science and technology fields.