pSTEM Implicit Stereotypes and pSTEM Motivation Among Black and Latina Undergraduate Women: The Role of Gender and Ethnic/Racial Typicality

Abstract

Implicitly stereotyping pSTEM (physical sciences, technology, engineering, and math) with Asian and White men can demotivate Black and Latina women in pSTEM. However, theory suggests that stereotypes might not affect all members of a group in the same way. In a sample of 345 undergraduate Black and Latina women, we tested gender typicality and ethnic/racial typicality as moderators of the relation between implicit stereotypes and pSTEM motivation. We found that stronger endorsement of implicit stereotypes associating pSTEM with men or Asian/White people was negatively related to expectancy beliefs and value beliefs among Black and Latina women. However, interaction effects revealed that the lower value beliefs in relation to pSTEM implicit stereotypes were strongest for women who identified most with other women, and the lower expectancy beliefs in relation to pSTEM implicit stereotypes were strongest for Black and Latina women who identified least with other Black and Latinx people. Thus, for Black and Latina women, seeing oneself as typical of one’s ethnic/racial group may buffer the impact of stereotypes, whereas seeing oneself as a typical woman may further lower pSTEM motivation.