Development of in-group-favoring math stereotypes

The developmental processes underlying in-group-favoring math stereotypes (i.e., beliefs that favor one’s own gender over another gender in math ability) and their associated motivational benefits in adolescence remain understudied. Guided by developmental intergroup theory and situated expectancy-value theory, the current study examined (a) the reciprocal relations between in-group–favoring math stereotypes and perceived math teacher support; (b) their associations with math motivational outcomes (i.e., math expectancies, math identity, and math GPA); and (c) gender differences in these associations among adolescents within each of four largest racial/ethnic groups in the United States (i.e., Asian, Black, Latine, and White). Using the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (N=18,419; Mage=14.53, SD=0.63 in 9th grade), we found that Asian and White girls’ female-favoring math stereotypes and their perceived math teacher support reinforced one another from early to late adolescence, but not among other groups. In-group-favoring math stereotypes positively predicted math motivational beliefs among boys across all racial/ethnic groups, but only among Black and White girls. These stereotypes indirectly predicted math GPA via motivational beliefs only for White adolescents. Findings suggest that gender differences in the development of in-group-favoring math stereotypes and the benefits of stereotype lift are not the same across race/ethnicity. Rather, gender norms that vary across different racial/ethnic groups may shape who develops and benefits from in-group-favoring math stereotypes, underscoring the need to consider intersectionality to better capture motivational processes in real-world contexts.