1. 1 www.ctetrailblazers.org Stepping up to a nontraditional challenge

2. 2 Understanding Nontraditional Occupations

3. 3 WHAT ARE NTO’S? A nontraditional occupation is one in which 25% or less of a certain gender is represented. NTO’s for WomenNTO’s for Men Court Reporters Dental Hygienists Insurance Appraisers Elementary/Middle School Teachers Nuclear Medicine Technicians Physical Therapists Veterinary Techs Waiters Aerospace Engineers Air Traffic Controllers Cartographers Dentists Foresters Funeral Directors Optometrists Urban and Regional Planners

4. WHAT ARE STEREOTYPES? Defusing the power of negative stereotypes What are stereotypes? Breaking the Barrier of Stereotyping

5. Cultural and Social Stereotypes: How we simplify the world A stereotype is a “conventional, formulaic, or oversimplified conception, opinion, or image.” We all use stereotypes to help us understand the world and make it simpler. 5 What are stereotypes?

6. Identity Salience: conceived self as belonging to any one of numerous social categories (female, Irish American, child, etc.) is developed by age 6. The awareness of cultural stereotypes increases dramatically between the ages of 6 and 11. Stereotypical Career Expectations are developed during this phase. 6 Social and Cultural Stereotypes Take Hold What are stereotypes?

7. Start Overcoming Stereotypes Early Stereotypes can affect career choices early in schooling Anxiety about stereotypes have been shown to undermine sense of belonging for girls in math as early as middle school Girls’ confidence in and liking of mathematics begins to wane in middle school 7 What are stereotypes?

8. By understanding the beliefs that give rise to negative stereotypes, we can begin to reduce the differences that persist in academic performance across ethnic and gender groups. 8 Understanding and Remediating Stereotype Threat

9. Research on understanding and remediating ethnic and gender gaps in education Unintended Signals of Discouragement Implicit Bias Stereotype Threat 9 Understanding and Remediating Stereotype Threat

10. Recognizing Our Own Unintended Signals of Discouragement How to Avoid Them 10 Unintended Signals of Discouragement

11. We may think we know what we believe and value, but Self-Perception can be deceptive. Our true beliefs and values are secreted away to a subconscious level. 11 Unintended Signals of Discouragement

12. 12 Understanding Self-Perception What are stereotypes?

13. What do you believe? How have your experiences influenced who you believe you should be? Understanding what we truly believe is an important first step toward overcoming barriers that block us from achieving a goal. Do your beliefs align with your actions? 13 Are you aware of the messages you are sending to others? Unintended Signals of Discouragement

14. “Unintended Signal of Discouragement” President of Harvard University Lawrence “Larry” Summers, Resigned 2/21/2006 One year after his 01/14/2005 remarks Speaking at the NBER Conference on Diversifying the Science & Engineering Workforce, Dr. Summers questioned the “intrinsic aptitude” of women and suggested that they might be under represented in STEM fields because of: 14 1.Their relatively lower interest in high powered jobs that required massive professional commitment; and 2.Their innate difference in abilities. Unintended Signals of Discouragement

15. Subconscious Beliefs Surface Throughout his career, Larry Summers has been an advocate for educating girls’ for careers in the economic and financial world. However, he consistently makes statements that suggest he believes otherwise: girls are "socialized toward nursing" while boys are "socialized toward building bridges.” His mistake was not understanding that he subconsciously held these stereotypes to be true. 15 Unintended Signals of Discouragement

16. Becoming Aware of Our Implicit Biases Recognizing Our Subconscious Beliefs 16 Implicit Bias

17. Implicit Biases Thoughts that people may be unwilling to express and may not even know they have “Individuals may have unconscious biases involving gender or race or religion that are quite different from their stated beliefs.” Fred Smyth, UVA 17 Powerful Effect on Gender Equity in Science and Mathematics Engagement and Performance Implicit Bias

18. Implicit Association Test (IAT) https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/demo/ https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/demo/ 18 Implicit Bias

19. Understanding the Stereotype Threat Phenomena How are individuals affected 19 Understanding and Remediating Stereotype Threat

20. Stereotype Threat is the fear that one's behavior will confirm an existing stereotype of a group with which one identifies 20 Dr. Joshua Aronson, Professor of Applied Psychology Dr. Claude Steele, Professor of Psychology 1995 New York University, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education & Human Development Research on gender “gaps” in educational achievement and standardized test performance Understanding and Remediating Stereotype Threat

21. Individuals being targeted by well-known cultural stereotypes can feel very threatened. 21 Stereotype Threat triggers a number of psychological and physiological responses, many of which interfere with intellectual performance and academic motivation. Understanding and Remediating Stereotype Threat

22. Experiments make you think A test was presented under two conditions: 1. The control condition: the test was presented as these tests are always presented - as a measure of intellectual ability and preparation. 2. The experimental condition: the test was presented in a non- evaluative way. The test takers were told that the researchers were not interested in measuring their ability with the test but that they just wanted to use the test to examine the psychology of verbal problem solving. Results: 1. In the control condition, the African American test takers, on average, scored much lower than the white test takers 2. For the white test takers there was no difference in their scores between the control condition and the experimental condition. 3. For the African American test takers there was a big difference between the control condition and the experimental condition. They solved about twice as many problems on the test in the experimental condition. Moreover, there was no difference between the performance of the black test takers and the white test takers. Steele and Aronson (1995) 22 Understanding and Remediating Stereotype Threat

23. Research shows that confronting negative stereotypes can lead to: 1. Anxiety 2. Dejection 3. Reduced self-control 4. Reduced working memory 5. Reduced creativity, flexibility, and speed These changes are physiological and can be measured. 23 Understanding and Remediating Stereotype Threat

24. How do individuals affected by stereotype threat behave? Avoiding tasks Devaluing the task to protect self from consequences of failure Distancing themselves from group in order not to be associated with stereotype Changing career aspirations Negative stereotyping tends to increase behaviors associated with the stereotype 24 Understanding and Remediating Stereotype Threat

25. Changing the Message Taking Action 25

26. 1.Understand our Implicit Bias 2.Reframe the task and modify course materials by removing situational cues 3.Provide experiences and role models to help students see alternatives to the stereotype 4.Attribute struggles to external, temporary causes. Foster a belief that intelligence is malleable How can you reduce stereotype threat? 26 Changing the Message

27. Step 1. Understand Our Implicit Biases “Our preferences for racial, ethnic, and other groups may be unconscious”. Implicit bias can influence behaviors, often with “unintended signals of discouragement.” The first step in changing our attitude is awareness. Consciously planned actions can compensate for known, unconscious preferences and beliefs. 27 Changing the Message

28. Step 2. Reframe tasks and modify course materials by removing situational cues 28 Changing the Message Hang a picture of Danica McKellar along side a picture of Einstein Display Counter Stereotype Posters Replace stereotype reinforcing literature with neutral literature Provide Role Model Mentors Talk about the inaccuracy of the stereotype Neil deGrasse Tyson, Frederick P. Rose Director,Hayden Planetarium,American Museum of Natural History

29. Step 3. Provide experiences and role models to help students see alternatives to the stereotype Role Models and Mentors: Alleviate performance worries Influence our attitudes and words 1.Establishing a view or vision that contradicts the common view 2.Supporting positive social change 3.Encouraging acceptance of alternative attributes 4.Empowering individuals to succeed 5.Respecting individuals Create a Counter Stereotype 29 Changing the Message

30. Step 4. Attribute struggles to external, temporary causes. Foster the belief that IQ is malleable. Students who were encouraged to view intelligence as malleable, "like a muscle" that can grow with work and effort, were more likely to indicate greater enjoyment and valuing of education, and they received higher grades. 30 Changing the Message

31. Reducing the Impact of Stereotype Threat Remember these hints 31

32. 1.Be positive. Reminding students of achieved positive identities... may be sufficient to subdue stereotype threat. 32 Reducing the Impact of Stereotype Threat

33. 2. Be Stigma Conscious. Positive stereotypes produce benefits for stereotype-associated group members when they are subtly, not blatantly, highlighted. 33 Reducing the Impact of Stereotype Threat

34. 3. Be aware. Performance is better or equivalent when stereotype threat is not emphasized. 34 Reducing the Impact of Stereotype Threat

35. 4. Be alert. Any group can show evidence of underperformance when the situation brings attention to the negative stereotype. 35 Reducing the Impact of Stereotype Threat

36. 5. Be sensitive. Students who value and care about doing well in the stereotyped domain are hurt most by negative stereotyping. 36 Reducing the Impact of Stereotype Threat

37. 6. Be a coach. Intelligence is like a muscle, malleable and not fixed; it can be improved with practice. Students need to know this and focus on “effort” not “talent.” 37 Reducing the Impact of Stereotype Threat

38. 38 Breaking Barriers Develop support programs for nontraditional students Place pairs of nontraditional students together in one course or job site Encourage students to stay in the class or job for a few weeks Provide formal opportunities to meet and share problems or concerns Provide students with positive reinforcement Establish and maintain a mentoring program

39. http://reducingstereotypethreat.org/ 39

40. References Krendl, Richeson, Kelley, & Heatherton, 2008 www.reducingstereotypethreat.org/mechanisms.html www.reducingstereotypethreat.org/mechanisms.html Quinn & Spencer, 2001 www.reducingstereotypethreat.org/bibliography_quinn_spencer.html www.reducingstereotypethreat.org/bibliography_quinn_spencer.html Spencer, Steele, and Quinn, 1999 www.reducingstereotypethreat.org/bibliography_spencer_steele_quinn.html Steele & Aronson, 1995 www.reducingstereotypethreat.org/bibliography_steele_aronson.html www.reducingstereotypethreat.org/bibliography_steele_aronson.html Reducing Stereotype Threat www.reducingstereotypethreat.org/reduce.html www.reducingstereotypethreat.org/reduce.html Math Scores Show No Gap for Girls http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/25/education/25math.html http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/25/education/25math.html Ben-Zeev, Fein, and Inzlict (2005). Arousal and stereotype threat. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. Volume 41, Issue 2, March 2005, Pages 174-181. Johns, Schmader, and Martens (2005). Knowing is half the battle. Psychological Science Volume 16 Issue 3 Page 175-179, March 2005. McIntyre (2005). A social impact trend in the effects of role models on alleviating women’s mathematics stereotype threat. CRISP, February 2005,v 10 n 9. 40