Solo status, stereotype threat, and performance expectancies: Their effects on womens performance

Women working in male-dominated environments may find themselves to be the only woman present, and that negative stereotypes about women persist in the environment. This experiment tested womenʹs performance in solo status (SS: being the only woman present) and under stereotype threat (ST: when women are stereotyped as poor performers). White male and female participants (157) learned information, then tested on it in an opposite-gender (SS) or samegender group (nonsolo). In addition, the information was described as being traditional math material (ST) or a type of math information impervious to gender stereotypes (no threat). Women performed more poorly in SS than nonsolos, and under ST than no threat. Experiencing both factors was more detrimental to womenʹs performance than experiencing one or the other. Menʹs performance was the same across all conditions. Performance expectancies partially mediated the effect of SS, but not ST, on performance.