Question 1

Aiyana switched her career from business and marketing to sports medicine because she realized she wanted to work at a job that she loves and feels passionate about. What can we infer about Aiyana based on this belief?

Accepted Answer

Aiyana's decision to switch to a career in sports medicine because she wants to work in a job that she loves and feels passionate about suggests that she has a self-expressive value system. This means that she prioritizes personal fulfillment and self-expression in her career choices.

Question 2

Studies on gender differences in abilities and achievements indicate ______.

Accepted Answer

Studies consistently show that males outperform females in spatial ability, especially on tests of mental rotation, while there is no evidence that males have better fine motor coordination. The evidence on academic achievement varies, with some studies showing that boys perform better in math and science, and others showing no significant gender differences.

Question 3

A meta-analysis of studies of gender differences in verbal ability found that ______.

Accepted Answer

The meta-analysis found that the gender difference in verbal ability is smaller now than it was several decades ago. None of the other options are supported by the information given in the question stem.

Question 4

Which of the following would be a good intervention strategy to make girls more successful in math and in math-related careers, according to Eccles?

Accepted Answer

Eccles recommends increasing the perceived value of math courses for girls, as research has shown that girls are more likely to pursue math-related careers if they believe that math is important and relevant to their future goals. Lowering girls' expectations or decreasing achievement-related experiences for boys would not be effective or equitable strategies, and increasing accessibility alone may not address the underlying issues that lead to girls being less successful in math.

Question 5

In an experiment by Moss-Racusin et al. (2012), science faculty from research universities rated the materials of an applicant for a laboratory manager position. The materials were identical, except half of the faculty saw them with a male name for the applicant and the other half saw them with a female name. The results from this study highlight ______.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In an experiment by Moss-Racusin et al....

Question 6

According to meta-analyses, which of these gender differences is the largest?

Accepted Answer

The largest gender difference is found in throwing distance, with males typically outperforming females by a significant margin. This difference is attributed to physiological and biomechanical factors.

Question 7

Eccles has proposed a(n) ______ model of achievement and course choice to explain why females stop taking math and science courses in high school and college.

Accepted Answer

Eccles' model of achievement and course choice is known as the expectation-value model. This model suggests that individuals' choices, such as the decision to stop taking math and science courses, are influenced by their expectations for success and the value they place on the task.

Question 8

Based on the research on speed in the 50-yard dash, we can conclude that ______.

Accepted Answer

The gender difference in speed, as measured by the 50-yard dash, becomes significantly larger during adolescence and continues to be pronounced beyond that age. This is attributed to physiological and hormonal changes that occur during puberty, which contribute to differences in muscle mass and strength between genders.

Question 9

Medicine, veterinary medicine, and law are all examples of ______.

Accepted Answer

Medicine, veterinary medicine, and law were traditionally male-dominated professions, but have experienced a significant increase in the number of women professionals in recent years. While some gender disparities still exist, there is no longer a small number of female professionals in these fields.

Question 10

Feng et al. (2007) found that when college students were given 10 hrs. of training on an action video game, both women and men improved their performance on a mental rotation test. This finding indicates that ______.

Accepted Answer

The finding indicates that spatial abilities can be learned through training, suggesting that they are not solely biologically based. The other answer options are not supported by the evidence provided in the study.

Question 11

J. Eccles' analysis is based on the belief that gender differences in math performance and competence are not so much caused by gender differences in ______ as by gender differences in ______.

Accepted Answer

Eccles' analysis suggests that gender differences in math performance and competence are more about the courses chosen by each gender rather than inherent ability differences.

Question 12

Which STEM field is most representative of women?

Accepted Answer

Biology is the STEM field that is most representative of women, with women making up approximately 50% of the workforce. This is in contrast to fields like computer science and engineering, where women are still significantly underrepresented. While women have made progress in mathematics and statistics in recent years, they still only represent around 40% of the workforce in these fields.

Question 13

Cheryan et al. (2013) conducted a study in which undergraduate women who were not computer science majors met a role model who they were told was a computer science major. With a 2 × 2 experimental design, the role model was either a man or a woman and was either stereotypical for computer science or not stereotypical. The results indicated that ______.

Accepted Answer

The results indicate that exposure to the stereotypical role model reduced women's interest in computer science. Specifically, women who met the stereotypical male computer science major reported less interest in computer science than women who met the non-stereotypical male computer science major or the female computer science major (who was either stereotypical or non-stereotypical). This suggests that negative stereotypes about who belongs in computer science can discourage women from pursuing the field.

Question 14

According to meta-analyses of research on gender differences in mathematics performance, ______.

Accepted Answer

Meta-analyses of research on gender differences in mathematics performance have generally found that there is no significant gender difference in overall mathematics performance.

Question 15

Numerous explanations for the gender gap in STEM have been proposed. Research supports which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Research supports that gender bias and discrimination in STEM fields contribute to the gender gap. While there are some small differences in math abilities between genders, this does not fully explain the gender gap. Interest and motivation also do not differ significantly between genders. The notion that women leave STEM fields to have children has been debunked as well as men and women leave STEM fields at similar rates.

Question 16

There is too much variability from one girl to the next to predict that an individual woman will not have adequate spatial ability. A far better indicator would be her score on a ______.

Accepted Answer

A mental rotation test is the best choice as it specifically measures an individual's ability to mentally rotate objects in three-dimensional space, which is a key aspect of spatial ability.

Question 17

When we look at the data on gender differences in school achievement with an intersectional lens, we can conclude that ______.

Accepted Answer

When we examine the data on gender differences in school achievement with an intersectional lens, we find that the patterns vary across different ethnic groups. For example, in some ethnic groups, boys may outperform girls, while in others, girls may outperform boys. Therefore, option D is the correct answer. Options A, B, and C are incorrect because they make generalized statements that do not hold true for all ethnic groups.

Question 18

Marika is a high school junior who is contemplating taking an optional course in physics. The expectancy-value theory says that she will sign up for physics only if she ______.

Accepted Answer

Expectancy-value theory posits that individuals will choose to engage in a task if they expect to succeed at it and value the outcome. Therefore, Marika will sign up for physics only if she has positive expectations for success and positive values related to the course.

Question 19

Saanvi has a condition in which her body produces very high levels of androgens. Saanvi likely has/is ______.

Accepted Answer

Saanvi's high levels of androgens indicate the condition of hyperandrogenism, which is characterized by excessive production of male hormones.

Question 20

What can we conclude based on the research in women's representation in STEM ?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What can we conclude based on the...

Quiz 8: Abilities, Motivation, and Achievement