Values affirmation is a psychological intervention that is used for individuals to reflect on their self-defining values. Values affirmation can help reduce evaluative stress and improve the performance of stereotype-threatened individuals (in this case women in physics course). 

Reducing Gender Gap in Physics: Values Affirmation

- peer instruction (discussing answers in small groups during lectures)
- curricular materials (such as tutorials)
- context rich problems 
- restructuring the entire physics course 
- introducing mentoring programs focused on women
- values affirmation 

Wayne State University

- limited representation of women in the course 
- women earn lower exam grades
- women earn lower scores on standardized tests of conceptual mastery 

Gender Gap In Introductory Physics Course

Miyake, A., Kost-Smith, L.E., Finkelstein, N.D., Pollock, S.J., Cohen, G.L. & Ito, T.A. (2010). Reducing the Gender Achievement Gap in College Science: A Classroom Study of Values Affirmation. Science (New York, N.Y.), 330(6008), 1234–1237. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1195996

Reducing the Gender Achievement Gap in College Science: A Classroom Study of Values Affirmation

Reducing the Gender Gap in Physics 

The main factor influencing the gender achievement gap in physics is the gender stereotype. 

- An example given in this article is that women worry that having poor performance in the physics course could lead to confirmation of a negative gender stereotype. 
- This gender stereotype can put a lot of pressure on women, mostly for women who believe this stereotype applies to them. 

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