| Date | November 2019 | Marks available | 6 | Reference code | 19N.Paper 3.HL.TZ0.2 |
| Level | HL only | Paper | Paper 3 | Time zone | TZ0 |
| Command term | Describe | Question number | 2 | Adapted from | N/A |
Question
The stimulus material below describes a study on the influence of knowledge of stereotype threat on women’s math performance. Stereotype threat means that people believe a negative stereotype about themselves.
Previous research on stereotype threat and math suggests that women who are reminded of their gender before taking a math test will underperform compared to women who are not reminded of their gender.
The aim of this study was to test if teaching about the potential effect of stereotype threat before a math multiple-choice test helps women to perform better.
A convenience sample of 80 female university students taking a course of introductory statistics (N=80) and with a mean age of 19.5 years was selected. Participants received extra credit for participation. The female experimenter informed participants about the study and before the participants signed an informed consent form, she informed them about their rights to confidentiality and anonymity and about their rights to withdraw themselves or their data at any time. They were not fully informed about the purpose of the study until debriefing.
The participants were randomly allocated to one of two conditions:
- Condition 1 (math-test): participants were told that they would take an easy standardized math test for a study on gender and mathematical performance.
- Condition 2 (math-test and teaching intervention): participants received the same instructions as in condition 1, but the researcher also gave a brief lecture on the stereotype threat and said that women could experience anxiety due to the negative stereotypes of women and math. However, a stereotype had nothing to do with them and how well they might do on the test.
All participants were asked to write their gender on the tests, and then they had 30 minutes to complete the math test.
The results showed that participants in condition 1 scored lower than participants in condition 2.
The researcher concluded that knowledge of the stereotype threat had resulted in the better performance in condition 2. They suggested that teaching about stereotype threat could help other women to attribute anxiety about math to the stereotype and not to themselves.
Describe the ethical considerations that were applied in the study and explain if further ethical considerations could be applied.
Markscheme
For describing the ethical considerations that were applied in the study: [1] per relevant point made, up to a maximum of [3].
- The participants signed a consent form before the start of the study and agreed to participate. They were only informed that the study was about math and gender so there was slight deception involved.
- They were guaranteed the right to withdraw from the study at any time and/or withdraw their data at any time as part of consent.
- They were guaranteed confidentiality and anonymity as part of consent.
- The participants were debriefed after they had completed the study. This is to ensure that the participants leave the study with a full understanding of it and in the same condition as they entered it.
For explaining further ethical considerations that could be applied: [1] per relevant point made, up to a maximum of [3].
- In principle, participants should be fully informed about the aim and procedures of the study, but this was not done here because this would make it impossible to conduct this particular study. For example, participants were not told the purpose of writing their gender on the paper. This would serve as a primer and is known to create anxiety in females before a math test because of the stereotype threat.
- In a study like this one, on quite a sensitive issue that could potentially stress the female participants, they should have been told that they could contact the researchers if they had any questions about the study. The researchers should make sure that the female participants did not suffer any psychological harm.
- Deception is used in the study. It must be clearly justified in a research ethics application form why (minor) deception is necessary in this particular study.
- The researcher could inform participants during debriefing that they could still withdraw their data. Participants may not feel they can leave the study because they have given consent.
- Students may feel coerced to participate when they receive extra credit. Students who do not wish to participate in this research should not be disadvantaged in any way and they should be offered a comparable alternative task to receive the same credits.
- Any other relevant point(s).
