Stereotype threat and performance on sport specific motor tests
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52383/itfcoaching.v27i77.128Keywords:
stereotype threat, gender bias, female tennis, performanceAbstract
Female tennis worldwide has a participation problem, with severe gender disparity at competitive and older age groups despite a
fairly even split amongst the much younger age groups. It seems logical to suggest that gender stereotype threat could contribute
to an underperformance, and eventual demotivation, of girls in tennis. Twenty-six girls aged 9-14 were split into equal sized control
and experimental groups and underwent a battery of common tennis tests, including forehand accuracy, standing broad jump,
and agility ‘T’ testing. In the case of the experimental group, the participants read a short statement which suggested that females
would produce inferior results relative to males. The results showed increases in performance in the experimental group, contrary
to the hypothesis; however, the increase still highlights the effect of stereotyping on performance.
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