Systemizing and the gender gap: examining academic achievement and perseverance in STEM

• Autores: Tomas Jungert, Kyle Hubbard, Helena Dedic, Steven Rosenfield
• Localización: European Journal of Psychology of Education, ISSN-e 1878-5174, ISSN 0256-2928, Vol. 34, Nº 2, 2019, págs. 479-500
• Idioma: inglés
• DOI: 10.1007/s10212-018-0390-0
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • For years, a popular explanation for women choosing to abandon studies in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has been their lack of aptitude. This study challenged that notion by integrating theories of cognitive style, academic emotion, self-efficacy, and motivation to explain students’ academic achievement and perseverance in STEM when transitioning to college. A sample of 1597 high school and junior college students participated. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were first conducted to validate a reduced version of the cognitive style questionnaire. Structural equation modeling revealed that the cognitive style known as systemizing indirectly predicted STEM achievement and persistence by way of intrinsic motivation, learning anxiety, and self-efficacy, providing a new perspective for re-examining the gender gap in STEM.

• Referencias bibliográficas
  • Akin, A., & Kurbanoglu, I. N. (2011). The relationships between math anxiety, math attitudes, and self-efficacy: A structural equation...
  • Ashcraft, M. (2002). Math anxiety: Personal, educational, and cognitive consequences. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 11, 181–185....
  • Auyeung, B., Allison, C., Wheelwright, S., & Baron-Cohen, S. (2012). Brief report: Development of the adolescent empathy and systemizing...
  • Baker, S. R. (2003). A prospective longitudinal investigation of social problem-solving appraisals on adjustment to university, stress, health,...
  • Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
  • Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York, NY: Freeman.
  • Bandura, A., & Wood, R. (1989). Effects of perceived controllability and performance standards on self-regulation of complex decision-making....
  • Bandura, A., Barbaranelli, C., Caprara, G. V., & Pastorelli, C. (2001). Self-efficacy beliefs as shapers of children’s aspirations and...
  • Baron-Cohen, S. (2003). The essential difference: The truth about the male and female brain. New York, NY: Basic Books.
  • Baron-Cohen, S. (2008). Autism, hypersystemizing, and truth. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 61, 64–75. https://doi.org/10.1080/17470210701508749.
  • Baron-Cohen, S., Richler, J., Bisarya, D., Gurunathan, N., & Wheelwright, S. (2003). The systemizing quotient: An investigation of adults...
  • Baron-Cohen, S., Cassidy, S., Auyeung, B., Allison, C., Achoukhi, M., Robertson, S., & Lai, M.-C. (2014). Attenuation of typical sex differences...
  • Bentler, P. M. (1995). EQS 6 structural equations program manual. Encino, CA, Multivariate Software, Inc.
  • Bong, M., & Skaalvik, E. M. (2003). Academic self-concept and self-efficacy: How different are they really? Educational Psychology Review,...
  • Bryan, R. R., Glynn, S. M., & Kittleson, J. M. (2011). Motivation, achievement, and advanced placement intent of high school students...
  • Burton, K., Lydon, J., D'Alessandro, D., & Koestner, R. (2006). The differential effects of intrinsic and identified motivation on...
  • Byrne, B. M. (2006). Structural equation modeling with EQS and EQS/windows: Basic concepts, application and programming. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence...
  • Clark, M., Middleton, S., Nguyen, D., & Zwick, L. (2014). Mediating relationships between academic motivation, academic integration and...
  • Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2017). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. Guilford...
  • Devine, A., Fawcett, K., Szűcs, D., & Dowker, A. (2012). Gender differences in mathematics anxiety and the relation to mathematics performance...
  • Diekman, A. B., Clark, E. K., Johnston, A. M., Brown, E. R., & Steinberg, M. (2011). Malleability in communal goals and beliefs influences...
  • Efklides, A., & Volet, S. (2005). Emotional experiences during learning: Multiple, situated and dynamic. Learning and Instruction, 15,...
  • Glynn, S., & Koballa, M. (2006). Motivation to learn in college science. In J. J. Mintzes & W. H. Leonard (Eds.), Handbook of College...
  • Glynn, S. M., Brickman, P., Armstrong, N., & Taasoobshirazi, G. (2011). Science motivation questionnaire II: Validation with science majors...
  • Goetz, T., Bieg, M., Ludtke, O., Pekrun, R., & Hall, N. (2013). Do girls really experience more anxiety in mathematics? Psychological...
  • Guay, F., & Vallerand, R. (1997). Social context, student's motivation, and academic achievement: Toward a process model. Social Psychology...
  • Halpern, D. F., & LaMay, M. L. (2000). The smarter sex: A critical review of sex differences in intelligence. Educational Psychology Review,...
  • Hardre, P., & Reeve, J. (2003). A motivational model of rural students’ intentions to persist in, versus drop out of high school. Journal...
  • Heilbronner, N. (2011). Stepping onto the stem pathway: Factors affecting talented students' declaration of stem majors in college. Journal...
  • Hirnstein, M., Bayer, U., & Hausmann, M. (2009). Sex-specific response strategies in mental rotation. Learning and Individual Differences,...
  • Hoffman, B. (2010). “I think I can, but I'm afraid to try”: The role of self-efficacy beliefs and mathematics anxiety in mathematics problem-solving...
  • Hyde, J., Lindberg, S., Linn, M., Ellis, A., & Williams, C. (2008). Gender similarities characterize math performance. Science, 321, 494–495....
  • Jungert, T., & Koestner, R. (2015). Science adjustment, parental and teacher autonomy support and the cognitive orientation of science...
  • Kidron, R., Kaganovskiy, L., & Baron-Cohen, S. (2018). Empathizing-systemizing cognitive styles: Effects of sex and academic degree. PLoS...
  • Kozhevnikov, M., Evans, C., & Kosslyn, S. (2014). Cognitive style as environmentally sensitive individual differences in cognition: A...
  • Landis, R. S., Beal, D. J., & Tesluk, P. E. (2000). A comparison of approaches to forming composite measures in structural equation models....
  • Lavigne, G., Vallerand, R., & Miquelon, P. (2007). A motivational model of persistence in science education: A self-determination theory...
  • Lindberg, S. M., Hyde, J. S., Petersen, J., & Linn, M. C. (2010). New trends in gender and mathematics performance: A meta-analysis. Psychological...
  • Ling, J., Burton, T. C., Salt, J. L., & Muncer, S. J. (2009). Psychometric analysis of the systemizing quotient (SQ) scale. British Journal...
  • Little, T., Cunningham, W., Shahar, G., & Widaman, K. (2002). To parcel or not to parcel: Exploring the question, weighing the merits....
  • Ma, X. (1999). A meta-analysis of the relationship between anxiety toward mathematics and achievement in mathematics. Journal for Research...
  • Mann, A., Legewie, J., & DiPrete, T. A. (2015). The role of school performance in narrowing gender gaps in the formation of STEM aspirations:...
  • McMullan, M., Jones, R., & Lea, S. (2012). Math anxiety, self-efficacy, and ability in British undergraduate nursing students. Research...
  • Nash, A., & Grossi, G. (2007). Picking Barbie™’s brain: Inherent sex differences in scientific ability? Journal of Interdisciplinary Feminist...
  • Nettle, D. (2007). Empathizing and systemizing: What are they, and what do they contribute to our understanding of psychological sex differences?...
  • Nie, Y., Lau, S., & Liau, A. K. (2011). Role of academic self-efficacy in moderating the relation between task importance and test anxiety....
  • Paivio, A. (1971). Imagery and verbal processes. New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.
  • Pekrun, R. (2006). The control-value theory of achievement emotions: Assumptions, corollaries, and implications for educational research and...
  • Pekrun, R., & Linnenbrink-Garcia, L. (2012). Academic emotions and student engagement. In S. Christenson, A. Reschly, & C. Wylie (Eds.),...
  • Pekrun, R., Goetz, T., Titz, W., & Perry, R. P. (2002). Academic emotions in students’ self-regulated learning and achievement: A program...
  • Pintrich, P. R., Smith, D. A. F., Garcia, T., & McKeachie, W. J. (1991). A manual for the use of the motivated strategies for learning...
  • Ratelle, C. F., Guay, F., Vallerand, R. J., Larose, S., & Senécal, C. (2007). Autonomous, controlled, and amotivated types of academic...
  • Riding, R. J., & Cheema, I. (1991). Cognitive styles—An overview and integration. Educational Psychology, 11, 193–215. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144341910110301.
  • Riding, R., & Rayner, S. (2013). Cognitive styles and learning strategies. Hoboken, NJ: Taylor and Francis.
  • Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being....
  • Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2017). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. Guilford...
  • Skaalvik, E., & Skaalvik, S. (2008). Self-concept and self-efficacy in mathematics: Relation with mathematics motivation and achievement....
  • Smith, C., & Hung, L. (2008). Stereotype threat: Effects on education. Social Psychology of Education, 11, 243–257. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-008-9053-3.
  • Spelke, E. (2005). Sex differences in intrinsic aptitude for mathematics and science?: A critical review. American Psychologist, 60, 950–958....
  • Stout, J. G., Dasgupta, N., Hunsinger, M., & McManus, M. A. (2011). STEMing the tide: Using ingroup experts to inoculate women’s self-concept...
  • Su, R., & Rounds, J. (2015). All STEM fields are not created equal: People and things interests explain gender disparities across STEM...
  • Su, R., Rounds, J., & Armstrong, P. I. (2009). Men and things, women and people: A meta-analysis of sex differences in interests. Psychological...
  • Svedholm-Häkkinen, A. M., & Lindeman, M. (2015). Testing the empathizing-systemizing theory in the general population: Occupations, vocational...
  • Tauer, J. M., & Harackiewicz, J. M. (2004). The effects of cooperation and competition on intrinsic motivation and performance. Journal...
  • Taylor, G., Jungert, T., Mageau, G., Schattke, K., Dedic, H., Rosenfield, S., & Koestner, R. (2014). A self-determination theory approach...
  • Vallerand, R. J., & Bissonnette, R. (1992). Intrinsic, extrinsic, and amotivational styles as predictors of behavior: A prospective study....
  • Vallerand, R. J., Fortier, M. S., & Guay, F. (1997). Self-determination and persistence in a real-life setting: Toward a motivational...
  • Wakabayashi, A., Baron-Cohen, S., Uchiyama, T., Yoshida, Y., Kuroda, M., & Wheelwright, S. (2007). Empathizing and systemizing in males...
  • Wakabayashi, A., Sasaki, J., & Ogawa, Y. (2012). Sex differences in two fundamental cognitive domains. Journal of Individual Differences,...
  • Walls, T., & Little, T. (2005). Relations among personal agency, motivation, and school adjustment in early adolescence. Journal of Educational...
  • Wang, X. (2013). Why students choose stem majors: Motivation, high school learning, and postsecondary context of support. American Educational...
  • Wang, M., & Degol, J. L. (2017). Gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM): Current knowledge, implications...
  • Watkins, W. M. (1972). Structure, genetics and biosynthesis of blood-group-specific glycoproteins. Biochemical Journal, 128, 114–116.
  • Wheelwright, S., Baron-Cohen, S., Goldenfeld, N., Delaney, J., Fine, D., Smith, R., ... Wakabayashi, A. (2006). Predicting autism spectrum...
  • Wright, D., & Skagerberg, E. (2012). Measuring empathizing and systemizing with a large US sample. PLoS One, 7, e31661. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0031661.
  • Zeyer, A., Bölsterli, K., Brovelli, D., & Odermatt, F. (2012). Brain type or sex differences? A structural equation model of the relation...
  • Zeyer, A., Çetin-Dindar, A., Md Zain, A., Juriševič, M., Devetak, I., & Odermatt, F. (2013). Systemizing: A cross-cultural constant for...
  • Zheng, L., & Zheng, Y. (2015). Sex and sexual orientation differences in empathizing-systemizing cognitive styles in China. Personality...