A belief that females are inherently bad at math becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, research shows.
Published: Agence France-Presse, October 20, 2006
by Deborah Jones, VANCOUVER
New research shows that when women believe they are genetically bad at math, the belief becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. When it comes to mathematics, the divide between men's and women's talents may be due to misinformation more than genetic destiny, new research in this western Canadian city suggests.
A report published Thursday in the peer-reviewed journal Science showed that women exposed to theories saying females are genetically bad at math performed far worse on math tests than women who had not been exposed to such beliefs.
So-called "brain sex" -- genetic differences between men's and women's brains -- is a hot new research subject.
It's so contentious that earlier this year Lawrence Summers resigned as president of prestigious Harvard University in the United States amid an uproar after he suggested that women have less intrinsic ability in math and science than men.
Psychologists Steven Heine and Ilan Dar-Nimrod, co-author of the Science report, studied how 220 female students performed in math tests after reading fake research reports -- all entirely invented by the psychologists -- with bogus claims about males being better at math.
One phoney paper claimed to have discovered that the Y chromosome, which only men have, gave males a five percent edge over females in mathematics.
Another fake paper claimed that men had a five percent edge because math teachers stereotyped girl and boy students at a very young age.
Heine said the research clearly showed that women who read the fake report about genetics did much more poorly on the math test.
The research, he said, shows that people believe they can overcome stereotyping and continue to try. But if they blame their genetic makeup and believe they have an innate lack of ability, they give up, he said.
"People think genes are at the core of who we are," said Heine, who with Dar-Nimrod teaches at the University of British Columbia here. "But much genetics research is still unproved," he said in an interview with AFP, and "just raising the question about genes has harmful consequences."
Often, said Heine, science about research on genes affecting gender, obesity or homosexuality is "grossly simplified" in media stories.
"The reports themselves have the potential to undermine people's motivations. If I believe that genes have a deterministic influence on my weight, will I still struggle to keep up with my diet and exercise routine?"
"Genetics research is a booming industry, and every week (scientists) are identifying a new gene," he said. But genes work in complicated ways scientists don't yet understand, he warned, and "not all scientific theories are created equal."
Copyright Deborah Jones 2006
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