Stereotyped group members' balancing of achievement and belongingness goals

Although societal structural barriers (e.g., gender roles, negative stereotypes, fewer role models) offer one explanation for why there are so few women in math and science-related disciplines, research within the last decade has begun to explore psychological threats that also affect women's motivation in these fields (Steele, 1997). Building on research interested in how group members maintain motivation in a performance domain in which they are negatively stereotyped, three studies explored the relationship between non-conscious goals and identity in a college sample of women in math and science-related disciplines. Unlike previous studies which have shown that priming a stereotyped identity can lead to declining performance, Studies 1 and 2 tested whether priming the goals thought to be associated with different identities can trigger those identities and lead to changes in self-efficacy, performance, and mood. Study 3 tested if priming goals and manipulating the relative status of an interaction partner can affect endorsement of stereotypical gender-related traits for women in math and science fields. Discussion focuses on the relationship between identity and goal pursuit for stereotyped group members and avenues for future research.