1995-2025: Is Stereotype Threat Still There? Diving into 30 Years of Research

Abstract:

The term “stereotype threat” was coined  by Steele and Aronson in a seminal article published in November 1995. Since then, research using the stereotype threat model has flourished, with the math field as a fertile ground for demonstrating how enduring stereotypes alleging women’s inferiority in math could lie at the heart of the persistent gender gaps in math achievement. Over time, however, evidence supporting stereotype threat as a potential explanation for women's underachievement in math – and, more generally, for the members of stigmatised groups in challenging achievement contexts - has been called into question. In this presentation, I will outline the evolution of stereotype threat research at turning point of its 30^th anniversary, discuss its past and current limitations in the math field (and beyond), and explore some perspectives for the near future.