Efeitos da ameaça sutil de estereótipo de gênero na aprendizagem de uma habilidade motora da dança em crianças

Abstract

The aim of this study was to check the gender stereotype subtle threat effects on learning a dance motor skill, pirouette, in children. Sixty-four boys with an average age of 9.17 years did a pirouette en dehors from the fourth position. The participants were randomized and equated for their ages in four experimental groups: Subtle Stereotype Threat group (SST), Reduced Stereotype Threat group (RST), Reduced and Subtle Stereotype Threat group (R – SST) and Control group (C). The study was carried out in three stages: two pre-test attempts and fifteen practice attempts on the first day and five attempts in the retention test with no induction related to Stereotype on the second day. After the pre-test, the participants watched videos about pirouette performances according to experimental manipulation. The participants watched a video twice. The first group (SST) watched a video of an expert woman's pirouette performance. The second group (RST) watched a video of an expert man's pirouette performance. The third group (R-SST) watched both videos but one participant watched the woman’s video first and then the man’s. Another participant watched the man's video first and then the woman’s and so on. The Control group did not watch any videos. After the fifth and tenth attempts, reinforcement over the experimental manipulation were provided. Intrinsic motivation, affective style and persistence questionnaires were submitted to the participants after the pre-test, practice stage and before the retention test. At the end of the third stage, the manipulation check was applied. The results showed that the SST and Control groups had a worse performance and learning than the other groups with reduced threat (RST and R-SST). The study concluded that the subtle stereotype threat impaired the performance and learning of a children’s dance skill.